Stanley Cowell tops an engaging 'Jazz Piano Christmas'

Was jazz pianist Sullivan Fortner second-guessing his career choice when he stepped onstage Saturday night at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater? If so, one could hardly blame him. The 26-year-old New Orleans native had the daunting task of following veteran virtuoso Stanley Cowell, who opened NPR's "A Jazz Piano Christmas" concert with an audaciously arranged collection of holiday tunes. The long-running annual event has often saved the best for last, but after Cowell concluded and acknowledged...