Once embraced by collegiates and beats as the hippest innovator in jazz, Brubeck looks on One Alone toward a past he helped create. Throughout these 13 solo meditations, the pianist infuses standard tunes with bitonal harmonies that once seemed eccentric but now slide down smooth and easy. Their consonant feel -- as well as the fact that it takes a minute to even notice that he plays most of "Harbor Lights" in alternate bars of five and six beats -- testify to just how strongly his aesthetic has stretched our ears.

Brubeck displays a flair here for dramatic rubato and dynamic contrasts that belie his youthful reputation for dry and intellectual performance. The intellectual side is apparently undiminished and most evident in his vast harmonic vocabulary. But moments both of surging emotion and pensive reflection suggest that, at least in the solo setting, his expressive powers are growing even on the eve of his 80th year.

The old problems linger as well: His touch and pedal can be heavy, and his attempts at swing, as on the stride interlude in the title track, remain as earnest but unsatisfying as ever. These qualities, however, have always stood far from the heart of his work. Back at the well of standard tunes on One Alone, Brubeck drinks deep, replenishes his art, and passes the cup along for us to enjoy.