What It Is (Jacky Terrasson album)
{{Infobox album
| name = What It Is
| type = studio
| artist = Jacky Terrasson
| cover = Jacky Terrasson - What It Is.jpg
| alt =
| released = 18 May 1999
| recorded = 16 17 18 27 November 1998
| venue = Avatar, New York City
| genre = Jazz
| length = 53:56
| label = Blue Note
| producer = Mino Cinelu
| chronology = Jacky Terrasson
| prev_title = Alive
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = A Paris...
| next_year = 2000
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score={{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=Jacky Terrasson - What It Is {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-it-is-mw0000666793 |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=27 August 2020 |language=en-us}}
|rev2 = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
|rev2score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |page=1277 |url=https://archive.org/details/penguinguidetoja00cook_1/page/1276/mode/2up |accessdate=26 August 2020 |language=en}}
|rev3=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz
}}
What It Is is a studio album by jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson released on May 18, 1999 by Blue Note label.{{cite web |title=Jacky Terrasson Catalog |url=https://www.jazzdisco.org/jacky-terrasson/catalog/#blue-note-7243-4-98756-2-3 |publisher=jazzdisco.org |accessdate=28 August 2020}} Terrasson plays on a Steinway piano.
Reception
Phil Gallo of Variety stated, "Terrasson’s fourth album as a leader, “What It Is” on Blue Note, finds the much-heralded French-American pianist tackling soulful numbers and works composed for an assortment of instrumentalists... His adventurousness deserves kudos — but this band’s execution needs work."{{cite web |last1=Gallo |first1=Phil |title=Jacky Terrasson |url=https://variety.com/1999/music/reviews/jacky-terrasson-2-1117499830/ |website=Variety |accessdate=28 August 2020 |language=en |date=27 May 1999}} Scott Yanow of AllMusic wrote, "This set is a bit of a departure for pianist Jacky Terrasson who has generally been heard in acoustic trio formats... Overall, this set is open to the influences of world music and more funk-oriented jazz, yet Jacky Terrasson still sounds quite creative, explorative and individual. An intriguing program." Geoffrey Himes of The Washington Post added, "the Parisian pianist has often been a prisoner of his own virtuosity, compelled to prove how many notes he could play in a chorus rather than how much emotion. By concentrating on more obvious melodies and by experimenting with different arrangements, Terrasson has broken out of that prison and expressed himself as never before."{{cite news |last1=Himes |first1=Geoffrey |title=JACKY TERRASSON "What It Is" Blue Note |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/06/11/jacky-terrasson-what-it-is-blue-note/621c444e-3d92-41de-b548-77a9d31273d7/ |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=28 August 2020 |date=11 June 1999}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| total_length = 53:56
| all_writing = Jacky Terrasson except track 6 written by Roger Waters and track 9 written by Maurice Ravel
| title_width = 80%
| title1 = Sam's Song
| length1 = 7:26
| title2 = What's Wrong
| length2 = 5:58
| title3 = Little Red Ribbon
| length3 = 5:18
| title4 = Better World
| length4 = 3:00
| title5 = Toot Tune
| length5 = 6:31
| title6 = Money
| length6 = 4:44
| title7 = Le Roi Basil
| length7 = 8:35
| title8 = Baby Plum
| length8 = 5:48
| title9 = Boléro
| length9 = 6:36
}}
Personnel
- Jacky Terrasson – acoustic piano
- Rick Centalonza – flute, oboe
- Adam Rogers – guitar
- Fernando Saunders – electric bass
- Mino Cinelu – drums, percussion
- Ugonna Okegwo – acoustic bass
- Jaz Sawyer – drums
- Richard Bona – electric bass
- Jay Collins – flute
- Gregoire Maret – harmonica
- Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
- Xiomara Laugarts – vocals
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums recorded at Power Station