Jean-Michel Pilc: Difference between revisions

| name = Jean-Michel Pilc

| image = Jean-Michel Pilc.jpg

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|10|19}}

| genre = [[Jazz]]

| occupation = Musician, Composer, Educator

| label = [[Justin Time Records]], [[Motéma Music|Motéma]], [[Dreyfus Records|Dreyfus]], [[Sunnyside Records|Sunnyside]], [[Storyville Records|Storyville]]

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|jeanmichelpilc.com}}

'''Jean-Michel Pilc''' (born October 19, 1960, in Paris, France) is a jazz pianist, composer and educator currently living in Montreal, Canada.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/28/arts/jazz-review-forget-new-york-cool-let-s-get-whimsical.html|title=JAZZ REVIEW; Forget New York Cool: Let's Get Whimsical|last=Ratliff|first=Ben|date=28 January 1998|work=The New York Times|page=5|accessdate=8 August 2011}}</ref>

==<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pilc |first=Jean-Michel |date=2023-06-25 |title=BIOGRAPHY |url=https://jeanmichelpilc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Bio-2023_EN.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Jean-Michel Pilc}}</ref>Career==

Born in 1960 in Paris, France, now also an American and Canadian citizen, self-taught pianist and composer Jean-Michel Pilc has performed with numerous jazz giants: '''[[Roy Haynes]], [[Michael Brecker]], [[Dave Liebman]], [[Jean Toussaint]], [[Rick Margitza]], [[Michel Portal]], [[Daniel Humair]], [[Marcus Miller]], [[Kenny Garrett]], [[Lenny White]], [[Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)|Chris Potter]], [[John Abercrombie (guitarist)|John Abercrombie]], [https://www.charlesmingus.com/dynasty Mingus Dynasty & Big Band], [[Lew Soloff]], [[Richard Bona]]''' etc. He has also worked with [[Harry Belafonte discography|'''Harry Belafonte''']], as his musical director and pianist, and has performed a duet with the legendary opera singer [[Jessye Norman|'''Jessye Norman''']].

Since he became a professional musician in the late 80’s, Jean-Michel has constantly been very active internationally, touring over 60 countries including all of Europe as well as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Abu Dhabi, South America, Mexico, USA and Canada. In addition to his own projects, he has been in high demand as a co-leader and sideman, participating in numerous projects over the world and recording a lot of albums. Among these projects and recordings: duos with '''[[Kenny Werner]], [[Sam Newsome]], [[Sylvain Luc]]''' and the legendary [[Martial Solal|'''Martial Solal''']], trio with '''Thomas Bramerie''' & '''[[André Ceccarelli]]''' '''''Twenty''''', guitarist '''Teriver Cheung''' '''''Hong Kong Episodes''''', Greek bass player '''[[Petros Klampanis]] ''Contextual''''', NYC drummer '''Tony Moreno ''Short Stories''''', '''Moutin Reunion Quintet ''Deep''''', Brazilian guitarist '''Fabio Gouvea''', Dutch bassist '''Jasper Somsen ''A New Episode In Life''''', Danish bassist '''[[Mads Vinding]] ''Open Minds''''', and many others.

Jean-Michel moved to New York City in 1995 and formed a new trio with '''[https://www.moutin.com/Francois.html François Moutin]''' (bass) and '''[https://www.arihoenig.com/ Ari Hoenig]''' (drums). They recorded a one-week engagement at the legendary jazz club '''Sweet Basil''' and, in 2000, released two CDs: '''''Together – Live at Sweet Basil, NYC – [https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/together-live-at-sweet-basil-vol-1/ Vol. 1] & [https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/together-live-at-sweet-basil-vol-2/ Vol.2]''''' (A-Records). Pilc then signed a record deal with Dreyfus Jazz. His first album for Dreyfus, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/welcome-home/ Welcome Home]''''' (featuring the same trio), was released in 2002. Jean-Michel’s next recording, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/cardinal-points/ Cardinal Points]''''', was released the following year. It featured his extended work '''''Trio Sonata''''', created with generous support from '''Chamber Music America New Works: Creation and Presentation Program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation'''.

In 2004, Jean-Michel released his first solo album, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/follow-me/ Follow Me]''''' (Dreyfus). Then he returned to trio format to record '''''Live at Iridium, NYC''''', in 2004, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/new-dreams/ New Dreams]''''' in 2006, and '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/true-story/ True Story]''''' in 2009 (featuring '''[[Billy Hart]]'''). He also received his second '''New Works Grant from Chamber Music America''' for the writing and performance of '''''Modern Lights''''', a composition reflecting Charlie Chaplin’s work. The project was premiered at the Caramoor Jazz Festival in August 2009.

Jean-Michel’s next two albums were both released in 2011 on the Motema label to critical acclaim: '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/essential/ Essential]''''', a live solo piano recording, and '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/threedom/ Threedom]''''', featuring his legendary trio with François Moutin & Ari Hoenig, which had re-formed in 2010 under the collective name '''Pilc Moutin Hoenig'''. A documentary by John McCormick titled '''''Jean-Michel Pilc – A Portrait''''' (Living Jazz Archive) is released on the same year.

In 2013, Jean-Michel was granted the prestigious '''Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation''', in the Music Composition category. The project was an octet, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/big-one/ Big One]''''', featuring all new original music.

In 2015, Jean-Michel released his third solo album, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/what-is-this-thing-called/ What Is This Thing Called?]'''''  (Sunnyside), followed, in 2018, by his fourth, '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/parallel/ Parallel]''''' (Challenge Records).

Jean-Michel has built a strong international reputation as a unique educator. Between 2006 and 2015, he was a '''NYU Steinhardt''' faculty member, giving private lessons (all instruments), ensemble classes and improvisation workshops. He was '''Co-Director of NYU Summer Jazz Improv Workshop''' in 2010. Jean-Michel also taught for the '''New School''' in NYC, as well as privately. At the same time, he released a book, '''''[http://glenlyonbooks.com/books-and-cds-1/pilc-its-about-music It’s About Music] – The Art and Heart of Improvisation''''' (Carl Fischer) and an educational video for all instruments, '''''[https://www.jazzheaven.com/yes/courses/jean-michel-pilc-true-jazz-improvisation-sa/ True Jazz Improvisation]''''' (JazzHeaven), followed by another video for JazzHeaven, '''''[https://www.jazzheaven.com/yes/courses/jean-michel-pilc-piano-playing-transcending-the-instrument-sa/ Transcending the Instrument]''''', about piano playing and practicing. All have been praised by his colleagues, and highly influential in the field of jazz education. Jean-Michel keeps releasing pedagogical material on a regular basis, including 2 video masterclasses on '''''[https://www.mymusicmasterclass.com/premiumvideos/jean-michel-pilc-jazz-piano-lesson-1/ Improvisational Fluency]''''' (MyMusicMasterclass), 2 online lessons in French and English, '''''[https://www.imusic-school.com/en/piano-lessons/anatomy-of-a-jazz-standard/ Anatomy of a Standard]''''' and '''''[https://www.imusic-school.com/fr/cours-piano/art-de-la-ballade/ The Art of Ballad]''''' (iMusic School), a series of improvisation tutorials on '''''[https://www.patreon.com/jmpilc Patreon]''''', the online lesson '''''Total Improvisational Control''''' (The Crescent), among others.

In September 2015, Jean-Michel joined the Jazz Faculty at '''The Schulich School of Music of McGill University''' in Montreal. Now a tenured Full Professor, he teaches jazz, piano, and improvisation (all instruments), as well as a '''''Seminar on improvisation in all styles''''' to a large group of McGill jazz and classical students. He has acted as '''Jazz Area Chair''' between 2016 and 2018.

Living in Montreal, Jean-Michel has become a very active constituent of the local jazz scene, participating in many Montreal-based projects as a leader, co-leader and sideman. In 2016, he created the “'''[https://improvworkshopproject.com Improvisation Workshop Project]''',” funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec -Société et Culture (FRQSC). He has also been a special guest of the Montreal-based “'''Orchestre National de Jazz'''” and a sideman of many Montreal musicians, as illustrated by his recent discography and concert schedule. He is also present on the Toronto and Ottawa jazz scene, playing with '''[[Kirk MacDonald (musician)|Kirk MacDonald]]''' and '''Roddy Ellias''', and continues to perform with NYC-based groups such as '''[https://justin-time.com/collections/pilc-moutin-hoenig Pilc-Moutin-Hoenig]''' and his '''US Trio with Sam Minaie''' and '''Jerad Lippi'''.

Jean-Michel is now a '''[https://justin-time.com/collections/jean-michel-pilc Justin Time]''' Recording Artist. He has released three albums on the label: '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/alive-set-1-2/ Alive – Live at Dièse Onze, Montréal]''''' with '''Rémi-Jean-Leblanc''' & '''Jim Doxas''', the solo CD '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/symphony/ Symphony]''''', and the '''Pilc Moutin Hoenig''' album '''''[https://jeanmichelpilc.com/album/you-are-the-song/ You Are the Song]'''''. A number of solo singles and EPs have also been released on the same label.

Jean-Michel is also a virtuoso whistler, as documented on several recordings including a solo piano & whistle track in the CD Christmas from the Blue Note (2010, Half Note).

*2022 ''Alive - Set 1: Live at Dièse Onze, Montréal'' (Justin Time)

*2022 ''Alive - Set 2: Live at Dièse Onze, Montréal'' (Justin Time)

*2023 ''Symphony'' (Justin Time)

*2023 ''You Are the Song - PILC MOUTIN HOENIG'' (Justin Time)

[[Category:French male pianists]]

[[Category:French male jazz musicians]]