Jacky Terrasson: Push

There's no lack of variety on pianist Jacky Terrasson's debut for Concord Records. With his trio and special guests, Terrasson generates a multihued program, featuring jazz-funk, spunky bop and cleverly envisioned ballads, such as Thelonious Monk's timeless classic, "Ruby My Dear."

On this piece, Terrasson and harmonica ace Gregoire Maret share the lead via sweet-toned passages and a capacious backdrop that elicits imagery of a sultry breeze. The soloists caress and rephrase the familiar theme into a gradually ascending balladry, seasoned with subtly enacted choruses and animated voicings. During the bridge, Maret surges in linear fashion amid lushly phrased high-notes, complemented by the pianist's lyrically resplendent block chords. The band also initiates a few minor variations of the composition's inherent structural elements. With "Ruby My Dear," Terrasson spins an impressionistic and nouveau vista on a beloved jazz standard.