Joining host Brian Zimmerman on the podcast today is pianist Jacky Terrasson. Born in Germany to an American mother and French father, Terrasson has been a force in modern jazz since his rocket-propelled arrival on the scene in 1993. That year, two major achievements set him on a rapid path to success: the first was winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. The second was recording his self-titled major-label debut with Blue Note Records.
Blue Note has remained a home for Jacky for nearly three decades, and just last month, he released his 12th album for the label. Simply called 53, the album is meant to reflect his truest self as seen from the distance that only experience can provide. With all original music, the album features three different trios comprising some of Jacky’s closest musical partners and a few new collaborators. We talk to Jacky about the making of the new album as well as the monumental influence pianists like Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett and Ahmad Jamal on his life. We also discuss his lifelong passion for fine food, his new foray into acting and why the nickname that has hung around him for so long — “the piano player of happiness” — doesn’t make him all that happy.
All that and more in this episode of JAZZIZ Backstage Pass.
Feature photo of Jacky Terrasson by PHILIPPE LEVY-STAB/COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
