JAZZ REVIEW : Pianist Terrasson Breathes New Life Into Standards

In the hands of pianist Jacky Terrasson, standard tunes are transformed, expanding and contracting in ways their composers never imagined. Tuesday night at Catalina Bar & Grill, Terrasson deconstructed the familiar themes of “Lover Man,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” and “Bye Bye Blackbird,” then, in stirring style, refashioned them in his own image.

The 29-year-old winner of the 1993 Thelonious Monk International Piano competition, whose debut release late last year created a small sensation among jazz pianists, has widened his sound since making that recording, utilizing more dynamic swings and rhythm switches while twisting his interpretations in ways that approach outrageousness. His style, although hinting at Art Tatum, Ahmad Jamal and Cecil Taylor, is decidedly his own, a rarity among today’s revivalist-bound generation of keyboardists.

In bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker, Terrasson has found like-minded individualists. Parker, especially, is a one-of-a-kind performer, having whittled his drum kit down to only bass, snare, a single tom-tom and one lonely cymbal. Still, utilizing the sides, rims and edges of these components with sticks, brushes and mallets, Parker derived an amazing variety of sounds that he applied to an ever-changing array of percussive patter.

Despite the assertive character of each member, Terrasson’s trio operates as a unit as each instrument pushes and responds to its mates. While the first set was full of abrupt shifts in tempo and volume, the three never functioned at odds, instead acting as a single voice no matter how radical the changes.

The group’s opening number, “Love for Sale,” was typical of the approach, with Parker developing rhythmic patterns with a brush on the side of the snare and taps with his bare hand on top. Terrasson twisted the theme with dissonant embellishments, letting it float lazily against the beat.

From there, the tune ranged far afield from its usual form, with Terrasson accelerating the rhythm into double-time, before falling back into a sensual swing. Loud aggressive figures from his right hand were contrasted with quiet echoes from his left. Sudden dramatic pauses disappeared in a swirling series of descending chords.

The demands Terrasson places on the audience makes the experience an exhausting one but much more rewarding than the usual staid piano trio performance. His voice, unlike any other, will make for fascinating listening as it continues to progress.

* Jacky Terrasson appears tonight through Sunday at Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. $12 cover. (213) 466-2210.