Jacky Terrasson: Quick on the Keys

As Jacky Terrasson walked onto the stage at the Glenn Gould Studio Tuesday, the ladies to my left giggled with excitement. A handsome gentleman in his 40s, the German-born Terrasson, son of French and African-American parents, gave a smile and a small wave hello before sitting down at the grand piano.

The evening was dedicated to his solo piano stylings. Terrasson is a technical master whose ability to express himself spontaneously is remarkable. His opening medley was a perfect example: he incorporated the Harry Potter theme song, Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” (in which he took interest after Jackson’s death in 2009) and the classic pop song “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” all — he explained afterwards — because they reflected his mood at the time.

There was an underlying format in the way Terrasson developed the songs that he played. He defined a melody and then manipulated it, allowing the music to swell, shaping and restructuring the sounds, bouncing between simple harmony and dissonant layers. Terrasson also employed the avant-garde technique of plucking or applying tension to the strings inside the piano, which changed the sound of the notes struck. Once he had fully explored the potential of the line, he returned in closing to the original simple melody. Essentially, he had extracted all that he could from the smallest of phrases.

Terrasson’s musical reflections worked well. He took listeners on an emotional journey. For example, his introduction to “O Café, O Soleil,” elicited thoughts of a delightful sunny day - the music painted a vivid picture. However, as soon as his improvisation changed, that picture disappeared, and the listener had to rebuild a relationship with the song. In “My Church”, the contrast between the peaceful introduction and the dramatic middle section suggested the emotions of someone visiting an old, majestic church in order to cope with some internal, personal struggle. Terrasson’s use of simple melodic lines on one hand, and dissonance on the other, repeatedly established and resolved the tension.

There is a distinctive sound to Terrasson’s improvisations that separates his solo style from his work elsewhere with a trio. But his musical expression is profound and ultimately allows him to break out of the standard jazz mold.