Marking his 53rd birthday and 25 years since his eponymous debut for
Blue Note,
Jacky Terrasson's 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
Terrasson's 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
Mozart's 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
![The Threepenny Opera (The Donmar Warehouse Production) [Original Cast Recording]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0605288124426_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Threepenny Opera (The Donmar Warehouse Production) [Original Cast Recording]")
