The Music and Energy of the Jacky Terrasson Trio
A few minutes before his 10pm show at Yoshi’s, Jacky Terrasson came out and sat at a table. He was checking out the audience and chatting with people as they came over to his table. He was very personable and a bit subdued. That changed when he and his trio took the stage. Once he sat down at the piano, he came to life with electrifying energy which reminded me of one of his influences, Ahmad Jamal. Jacky can disguise a melody in such a way that you do not know the song until about the middle of the song. This was definitely the case with his interpretations of “The Days of Wine and Rose” and “Isn’t She Lovely.” On “Love For Sale“, he introduced the song by plucking on the piano strings. He also played fender rhodes. Rounding out his capable trio were Sean Smith on bass and Eric Harland on drums. They were definitely a compliment to Jacky’s excellent piano. In addition to his solo recordings, Jacky has done album’s with vibraphonist Stefon Harris and jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson. Jacky’s current recordings include “A Paris” and “Smile.”
