Jacky Terrasson

Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lessons at an early age. He became interested in jazz when he heard his mother's albums of Miles Davis and Billie Holiday. Terrasson went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston for two semesters, then performed in clubs as a jazz pianist in Chicago and New York City. In 1993 he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. As the leader of a trio, Terrasson recorded his first solo album for Blue Note, then recorded with Jimmy Scott and Cassandra Wilson. He has worked with Stéphane Belmondo, Michael Brecker, Mino Cinélu, Ugonna Okegwo, Leon Parker, Michel Portal, Adam Rodgers, and Cécile McLorin Salvant. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "a pianist with a shining improvisational imagination, Terrasson seems clearly determined to follow his own path."

In March 2026, Terrasson was the subject of a complaint by a sixteen-year-old girl who alleged that he raped her when she was six years old. Terrasson was questioned by investigators in late 2025. He denied the allegation. Prosecutors in Bordeaux confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.

Moon and Sand with Tom Harrell (Jazz Aux Ramparts, 1991) Lover Man (Venus, 1994) – rec. 1993 Jacky Terrasson (Blue Note, 1994) Reach (Blue Note, 1995) Rendezvous with Cassandra Wilson (Blue Note, 1997) Alive (Blue Note, 1998) – live rec. 1997 What It Is (Blue Note, 1999) – rec. 1998 A Paris... (Blue Note, 2000) Kindred with Stefon Harris (Blue Note, 2001) Smile (Blue Note, 2002) Into the Blue with Emmanuel Pahud (Blue Note, 2003) – rec. 2001 Mirror (Blue Note, 2007) – rec. 2006 Push (Concord Jazz, 2010) – rec. 2009 Gouache (Universal, 2012) Take This (Impulse!, 2015) – rec. 2014 Mother with Stéphane Belmondo (Impulse!, 2016) 53 (Blue Note, 2019) Moving On (Earth-Sounds, 2024)