PRESSE Evanescence

Claude Terranova gives us here a moment of solo piano taken live in Montreuil during an evening organized by Amnesty International.

A moment of pure state of grace as we have known little since the Köln Concert. The pianist alone on stage gives here to hear an impressive register not only of his art of the instrument but also of his love of the piano in jazz.

Everything was said that night. All the registers played, both in his own "evanescent" compositions and in the real reappropriation of the themes of the repertoire.

Terranova master in the art of shades varies the different climates and entangled in the mind of a Keith Jarrett.
Claude Terranova manages to give us sometimes the impression that a real rhythm section accompanies it before the roar of the bass does not fade again in favor of the melodic line.

Model of mastery in harmony, his reading of Night in Tunisia is a real rediscovery. Monument of inventiveness. And what about Carmen played in the manner of a Petrucciani.

Terranova never parodies himself, always trying to thoroughly explore all that a theme can tell. Conversely, nothing forbids exploring a theme in destitution.

We have never heard a version as shocking as that of I love you Porgy. A stripped down version, very simple but with this indescribable supplement of soul where the expression of what is said (this declaration of love to Porgy), transcends its musical expression. Behind the last note played, it is the most beautiful silence that resonates and prolongs the music. The time in suspension.

And when a pianist manages to use his art in the service of such an emotion, when obviously he transmits to his audience such a love of the piano, such an intelligence of the themes, when the silence merges with the note and invades the the soul is no longer about anything other than sharing and listening.

Jean Marc Gelin

On the menu of this concert: A Foggy Day, I Love you Porgy or A Night in Tunisia that he reconsidered from a new angle, close to that of Martial Solal. Standards are an inexhaustible material for those who try to give them an original form. Elia Kazan said of Brando: "He is able to express tiny feelings".
The art of the jazzman is perhaps, in front of a monument like Blue in green, to add or remove tiny particles without hurting the frame of the theme. And if the treatment is stronger to leave at least its foundations.

The composition exercise is different. He is here an extension of his dreams. Several titles have been composed here on the spot (Azur or Agua do Brasil). These ephemera release more the creativity of its author. The urgency of the live helping they come to feed the pearls of Gillespie or Gershwin.

With a lot of enthusiasm, Terranova exploits the infinite riches of his instrument and then relies on silence, thus promoting a real intimacy with his audience. We appreciate this confidence.
Whoever one day sees a dear friend again, and the next day his companions will understand me.

Philippe Deneuve.

Indoor travel in known terrain: Blue in Green, Highlight, Azure ... for color; A Night in Tunisia, Agua do Brasil, El Djazair ... for the territories.

In this first solo album (recorded mainly during a concert organized by Amnesty International) the pianist Claude Terranova (solid classical training and rigorous touch) surrenders to his dreams, improvising without affectation on some standards and a handful of originals.

The fleeting fragility of pure emotion emanates from it.

B. de Witte

Claude Terranova is a pianist and composer,
he recorded during a concert in Montreuil a dozen solo beaches. A way according to him to tell us his contrasting experiences where his reverie reaches a beautiful presence.

This one is more like a creation of universe where it delimits its concept of the beauty, translated on the majority of the compositions executed.

This expert in romanticism can also seduce us in recovery: "A Night In Tunisia" or "I Love You Porgy".

Beautiful discovery.

Gérald Mathieu

Here is a nice lyrical surprise, Claude Terranova knows how to harmonize with taste and a fairly safe sense of color the most hackneyed compositions.

See his variations on Bizet's "Carmen" or "A Foggy Day" ...
His personal themes bear the mark of an open sensibility (El Djazaïr, Agua do Brasil) and marked by delicacy (Evanescence, Miniature Aquatic, In a dream). Only the sometimes forced use of the sustain pedal spoils the party a little.

Jean-Pierre Jackso

Architect of the moment, resolutely turned towards jazz, Claude Terranova signs here a first solo album, synthesis of his multiple experiences.

Certainly, he studied the great pianists of jazz, Art Tatum among others, but especially Martial Solal, whose influences are found on Gillespie's "Night in Tunisia" !

Claude Terranova takes a certain pleasure in bringing out his melodic ideas.
Generous jazz, clever, with a very harmonic side, which does not spoil anything, and languorously stretching on slow or fast tempos.

A disc quite engaging in the news of pianists "solo".
This is the pledge of an artist without limits who has not finished surprising us.
A great solo record is very rare. Rush on !

Christian Delvoye

Since the time he practices the piano solo, the jazz pianist "polymorph" Claude Terranova finally released a record where he finds himself alone to share with the public his love for this instrument and the beauty of music.
He gives free rein to his reveries in original compositions and also improvises on standarts with such a freedom that the mixture is created in a transparent way in a pleasant harmony.
Whether inspired by his hometown, Brazil, Tunisia or less sunny countries, the same poetry emanates notes that sparkle with colorful sparkles.

Most of the recordings on this record were made during a concert organized by Amnesty International in Montreuil, and this is probably why the "stories" that Claude Terranova tells through his music are particularly emotionally charged.

There is no doubt that this record is not a demonstration of knowledge, as the pianist indicates on the cover, but the desire to explore other worlds and give the reflection, the imprint of moments of fragility and of tenderness.

Magic and poetic moments.

Agnès Jourdain

There is, in the image of this recovery while monkian accident of Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia or this bubbling Agua do Brasil, a few moments where the pianist slice vigorously in the sound material, revealing in passing a flawless technique and a dazzling power, but overall, the music has an exquisitely contemplative character.

These bass ostinatos on which Terranova plays minor arpeggios evoke in more than one way the tutelary figure of Keith Jarett, great solo specialist ... When Claude Debussy, he is never far away either.

A disc that, between fierce improvisation and classical beauties, makes its way into our imaginary sound.

J.P.

Musician at the atypical course, the French pianist Claude Terranova remains nonetheless a reference.
A symbol of quality that will have waited 20 years before engraving "Evanescence", his first solo album, too busy to participate in the projects of other musicians (Daniel Humair, Martial Solal) or to exercise his curious mind in artistic genres too varied as ballet and opera music. 20 years for this first "baby", fruit of the meeting of experience and maturity.
Evanescence is a series of compositions by the "master" and improvisations of great standards (I love you Porgy, a night in Tunisia) recorded live and piano solo.

From the outset, the attention is titillated by the almost academic dexterity of Claude Terranova, his sense of improvisation that does not pull towards soporific lengths, by his sensuality and this delicate emotion distilled by silences in the course of many notes.

Without question, Claude Terranova is a name to remember and follow. Evanescence is a successful bet.
To savor !

Etienne Payen.

...When a rhythmic force is imposed on him, Claude Terranova deploys with great conviction his sense of contrast and his palette of means, which is extremely vast.

Night in Tunisia is an example of a dozen interpretations whose stylistic approach has undeniably (the loud applause of the public demonstrate) of legitimate defenders.

Stéphane Carini

Claude Terranova presents his latest Evanescence. With a name like this, exploration seemed indeed appropriate for the pianist.
Maximum risk taking: recording solo and in public, with a large part of compositions in the moment. These are in a vein jazzo-debussyst, a little systematic.

Claude Terranova is a thousand times more inspired in the replay of stainless standards ... Some of the effects he uses then recall those of his Italian counterpart Stefano Bollani - and the compliment is not thin -.
In "Agua do Brasil", the sustain pedal allows dissonances (distant samba echoes) to be superimposed on the central theme.

If the reharmonization of "Carmen" is more predictable, the ruffling "Night in Tunisia" proves that Claude Terranova is a boss on his keyboard.

In an approach close to Martial Solal, with tonic accelerations and clever conclusions to the Ahmad Jamal, Claude Terranova has enough bottle to put the amazed audience in his pocket.

Thomas Marcuola

Press around Solo Piano

«EVANESCENCE»