Smile

Pianist Jacky Terrasson is a French blend of Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell, and this CD highlights his open-minded musical evolution. His band includes bassists Sean Smith and Remi Vignolo and drummer Eric Harland. Terrasson leads them through a well-rounded program that ranges from the immortal chanson "Sous le Ciel de Paris" and the title track by Charlie Chaplin, to the soulful "Mo' Better Blues" and the finger-busting "Parisian Thoroughfare." Terrasson likes to reinterpret well-known tunes using tricky time signatures, as you can hear especially in his slick drum and bass version of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely." For Terrasson, popular songs are still great vehicles for jazz improvisation. --Eugene Holley Jr.