DW Jazz Concerts: The Jacky Terrasson Trio

This concert, recorded at the 2021 Jazzfest Bonn, was special — it was the first that pianist Terrasson and his trio, which includes French bassist Sylvain Romano and Cuban drummer Lukmil Perez, performed after pandemic-induced lockdowns canceled most events in 2020.

Like many other artists, Terrasson spent an entire year in isolation. He then came back with a bang at the 2021 edition of the annual jazz festival held in the former capital of West Germany.

Terrasson was born in 1957 in Berlin to a French father and an African-American mother. He grew up in Paris and began playing the piano at the age of five.

At school, he learned to play classical music and followed it up by learning jazz with jazz musician and teacher, Jeff Gardner. Terrasson spent his time listening to recordings by legendary jazz pianists and composers including Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk.

The 'young lion' of jazz

Terrasson moved to New York in the 1990s. In 1993, he won the Thelonious Monk jazz competition in Washington DC. The recognition landed him a contract with the record label, Blue Note, which released his first album, "Jacky Terrasson," in 1994. "By the mid-'90s, Terrasson was being hailed as one of the bright young lions on the traditional jazz scene," Blue Note says on its website.

Terrasson went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, meeting other jazz musicians, like the Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, who has worked with jazz giants like trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

For Terrasson, music is an expression of one's feelings. "I would imagine that life, in general, is mirrored through the way you express your music…. And what you express as far as feelings, is automatically a reflection of how your life is going," he told DW on the sidelines of his performance in 2021 at the Jazzfest in Bonn.

What you'll be listening to

Terrasson has a reputation for being a master improvisor, and his talent is on full display during this concert. The first composition, "The Call," is a light and uplifting piano number. It's followed by the thoughtful "Kiss Jeanette for Me" and "Love for Sale," the latter being an improvisation of a 1930s tune by American composer Cole Porter.

Next, we listen to an improvisation of the famous "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" followed by "O Café, O Soleil." An unnamed track is then followed by "Smile" and a final medley comprised of Terrasson's original compositions.

The performance is part of this edition of DW Jazzfest hosted by Manasi Gopalakrishnan. The show was produced by Thomas Schmidt and Christian Stäter, with editorial support from Anastassia Boutsko. DW and Jazzfest Bonn own all rights to the music recorded at this concert in Bonn, 2021.

If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions related to the program, do send them to us at music@dw.com.