March 7, 2019
Jacky Terrasson delights in turning standards inside out. On his eponymously titled debut CD he gives odd rhythms to “I Love Paris,” purposely speeds up and slows down the tempo on “Bye Bye Blackbird,” takes “I Fall in Love Too Easily” very slowly, does his best to disguise “Bye Bye Blackbird,” and shows a grasp of dynamics worthy of Ahmad Jamal. It is fortunate that bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker are very alert (or perhaps well-rehearsed), because to the uninitiated listener these eccentric and rather quirky performances are often quite unpredictable and occasionally jarring. Well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow
