A Paris...

With A Paris, fleet-fingered pianist Jacky Terrasson delivers a soulful and sonic tribute to the City of Light and France. Backed by drummers Terreon Gully and Leon Parker, percussionist Minio Gara, Stefon Harris on marimba, and bassists Remi Vignolo and Ugonna Okegwo, Terrasson--who's worked with vocalists Betty Carter and Cassandra Wilson--reinterprets a number of classic French chansons into a diverse array of jazz idioms. His trio takes of "Plaisir d' Amour," and "Les Chemins de L'Amour" recall the gospel timbre of Abdullah Ibrahim and the delicate phrasings of Bill Evans. Alto/soprano saxophonist Stefano di Battista adds his snaky lines to the modal McCoy Tyner-tinged "Jeux Interdits" and to the North African nuances of "L'Aigle Noir." "La Vie en Rose" swings with an Afro-Caribbean beat, while "Ne Me Quitte Pas" and the title track are flavored by Gregoire Maret's Gallic harmonica and Gypsy guitarist Bireli Lagrene. Terrasson's heartfelt waltz rendition of the national anthem, "La Marseillaise," puts Bastille Day in a new jazzy light. --Eugene Holley, Jr.