53

Marking his 53rd birthday and 25 years since his eponymous debut for Blue Note, Jacky Terrassons 2019 studio album, 53, is an engaging, deeply nuanced set that reflects his ever-deepening artistic maturity. An inventive, technically adept young lion, Terrasson has continued to refine his style over the years. Here he displays a broad range of rhythmic and harmonic colors. Helping him achieve this are no less than three rhythm sections including one with electric bassist Geraud Portal and drummer Ali Jackson, double-bassist Sylvain Romano and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, and double-bassist Thomas Bramerie and drummer Lukmil Perez. The result is an album of original compositions that touch upon all of Terrassons varied musical touchstones. The Call is a brightly rolling opener dedicated to legendary pianist and longtime Terrasson idol Ahmad Jamal. Similarly, he pays homage to another of his main influences, Keith Jarrett, on Kiss Jannett for Me. Elsewhere, the soulful Babyplum is a midtempo groover a la Ramsey Lewis and 3. Sequentia: Lacrimosa is an introspective rendition of Mozarts requiem that brings to mind the work of pianist Bill Evans, as well as the dusky balladry of Chet Baker in his later years. Shifting gears, Terrasson draws upon his love of 70s crossover jazz with the Chick Corea-esque This Is Mine before swinging into the off-kilter blues of Blues en femmes majeures. He ends by sinking into Resilience, a ballad that evokes the poignant standard For All We Know. While Terrasson certainly borrows inspiration from a variety of players and sources on 53, he never sounds anything less than distinctively his own. ~ Matt Collar