As the reality of Y2K took hold, no doubt many artists went with forward-thinking album titles for their first efforts of the new millennium. But guitarist Ronny Jordan wasn’t thinking of trendiness or even the calendar shift when he called his Blue Note debut A Brighter Day. His 1992…
This set is a bit of a departure for pianist Jacky Terrasson who has generally been heard in acoustic trio formats. Terrasson utilizes a variety of other musicians in larger ensembles for mostly original works (other than Ravel’s “Bolero”). Among his sidemen are tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker (who gets off…
The talented young pianist Jacky Terrasson and his trio (with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker) find something new to say on a few standards (including a rare up-tempo version of “For Sentimental Reasons”) and introduce five of Terrasson‘s originals. Although he has does not have an…
Since winning the Thelonious Monk Piano competition in 1993, Jacky Terrasson has more than validated the judges’ opinions with a consistently outstanding series of CDs. Mirror provides a rare opportunity to enjoy Terrasson in a solo piano setting. He recasts the old favorite from the Duke Ellington songbook by…
Smile is a good showcase for pianist Jacky Terrasson‘s patented blend of mischief and mastery. A kind of companion piece to the superb A Paris (Blue Note, 2000), two tracks extend its “I love Paris” theme: the dazzling “Parisian Thoroughfare,” and the luscious, dreamy “Sous le Ciel de Paris,”…
Jacky Terrasson‘s 1999 album, What It Is, represented something of a risk. The young pianist’s first three albums were barebones trio affairs that had won him rave reviews, whereas What It Is featured additional instruments and was more slickly produced. Gone, it seemed, was the sparse, acoustic approach…
For this notable set, pianist Jacky Terrasson teams up with the smoky, chance-taking vocalist Cassandra Wilson, either Lonnie Plaxico or Kenny Davis on bass and percussionist Mino Cinelu. The music is quite impressionistic and atmospheric. Terrasson and Wilson stick to standards, but their renditions of such songs as…
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…
Kurt Elling has finally delivered on the potential promised on his 1997 album The Messenger. It is true that Elling has been terrifically consistent in his offerings with very inspired performances– even if the material and its execution were not nearly as adventurous as that storied earlier recording. But…
