Jacky Terrasson with his trio at the Iridium jazz club, New York City, June 25, 2009
It’s jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson’s birthday today. He is an enormously talented and gifted musician.
Born in Berlin in 1965, his mother was African-American and his father French. Terrasson grew up in France, starting to learn the piano when he was five, studying, initially, classical piano, then jazz. He studied music formally at the Berklee College of Music. He won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Piano Competition in 1993 and started touring with Betty Carter.
Since then, Terrasson has toured widely and often in Europe as well as here in the states. He makes his home in New York and his newest release, Mother, just came out this year on Impulse! with his long-time partner and friend, the trumpet player Stephane Belmondo.
I first heard of Jacky Terrasson because of my interest in the young and talented vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. I happened to come across some wonderful videos of Terrasson’s band accompanying Salvant in concert on youtube. Here’s one in particular I like: “Gouache,” performed in 2012 at the Saint Emilion Jazz Festival—Jacky Terrasson, piano; Cécile McLorin, vocal; Minino Garay, percussion; Burniss Travis, bass; Justin Faulkner, drums:
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