Eddie Higgins, Standards by Request, 1st Day and 2nd Day(Venus). Among those mourning Higgins’ death are virtually all other jazz pianists and the Japanese. He was a celebrity among the large and enthusiastic coterie of listeners in Japan who are devoted to piano jazz. Higgins recorded nearly two dozen albums for Japan’s Venus label. These solo CDs from 2008 present him in all of his sleek melodicism, harmonic resourcefulness, subtle swing and quiet wit. Most of these interpretations of standards last around four minutes. That’s all he needed to find the heart of a song.