Once in a while someone turns up who really manages to make something new out of standards. From the moment he signed on to Blue Note, pianist Jacky Terrasson proved that there was nothing run-of-the-mill about his interpretations. What's more, in his hands they are often unrecognizably sophisticated. The title track off his newest CD, Smile, already his eighth on Blue Note, is a good example. In a rather uncommon 5/4 measure, the piece sounds lively and distinctive. It is illustrative of the course Terrasson and his new trio are taking. And a sizeable number of evergreens become justified once more. Terrasson grew up in Paris, but moved to the U.S. as a teenager to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before embarking on his solo career, he gained experience in bands led by Ray Brown, Betty Carter and DeeDee Bridgewater. In 1993 he achieved fame by winning the Thelonious Monk Institute Award for piano.
