Fresh out of the University of Chicago, pianist Ben Neuman hasn't yet had much of a chance to build a reputation, but judging by his performance on the aptly named "Introductions" (OA2 Records), he's off to an uncommonly strong start.

Apart from the obvious fluidity of his technique and crystalline quality of his touch, Neuman shows a prodigious mastery of the standard repertory that forms the bulk of this CD. His deeply expressive re-imagining of "Blame it On My Youth" and his melting lyric tone on a solo version of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" suggest the work of a much more seasoned artist. And in tunes by John Coltrane and Horace Silver, Neuman -- joined by bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas -- plunges headlong into complexly structured improvisations.