Jacky Terrasson

Born in Berlin to a French mother and an American father, Terrassons distinctive piano style reflects his old and new influences. In his youth, he spent years studying and listening to recordings by Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. He began playing piano at age five, and his parents were always playing classical music on the stereo. He began listening intently to Billie Holiday and Miles Davis records that belonged to his mother when he was 11, and at that point, he was hooked on playing jazz piano.

He studied jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston with many other new traditionalists as classmates, including people like Danilo Perez. After graduation, he spent a year jamming at clubs in Chicago and New York before hooking up with ensembles led by his mentors, including Arthur Taylor and Betty Carter. At a recording session, Terrasson met Carter. The vocalist told him she needed a pianist to begin a tour the next day, and he accepted, spending nearly a year on the road with her.

Among many other sessions, Terrasson performed on Jimmy Scotts 1996 release, Heaven, for Warner Bros. He also did arranging for that record. Terrasson continues to perform around the world as leader of his own trio, and has made several European and Japanese tours. Hes one of the most sought-after sidemen in jazz, constantly in demand for touring jazz bands and recording dates. On his 1996 sophomore effort, Reach, hes ably backed by the same musicians who accompanied him on his debut: bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker. Rendezvous followed in 1997, and a year later Terrasson returned with Alive. 1999s What It Is emphasized Terrassons compositional skills as well as technique. Paris followed two years later.

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