Jean-Michel Pilc PIANO LESSON: True Technique vs «Finger Work» JazzHeaven.com Excerpt

«Mr Pilc seems to have dropped from the sky fully formed, with technique and his ideas in place. He is a physical and densely harmonic player, a splashy stunner who also has a Rubik's-cube mind for chord substitutions.» Ben Ratliff, New York Times Pilc moved to New York City in 1995. He formed a trio with François Moutin (bass) and Ari Hoenig (drums). Soon, they were performing in most jazz venues in New York City, including Blue Note, Birdland, Knitting Factory, and Sweet Basil. They recorded a one-week engagement at Sweet Basil and, in 2000, released Jean-Michel Pilc Trio – Together – Live at Sweet Basil, NYC – Vol. 1 & 2 (A-Records), which received critical acclaim in the US and in Europe. Then Pilc signed a multi-record deal with Dreyfus Records. Pilc's first album for Dreyfus, Welcome Home (featuring the same trio), was released at the beginning of 2002. The Jean-Michel Pilc Trio did a five-week tour for Welcome Home in 2002, followed by a four-week fall tour of seven European countries (including the Rising Stars Tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Pilc's next album for Dreyfus, Cardinal Points, was released in 2003. JazzTimes chose the CD as one of its Top 50 Picks for Critics Picks 2003, and the album received a four-star «Hot Box» review in Down Beat.[citation needed] Cardinal Points features Pilc's extended work «Trio Sonata», funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Pilc also got several grants from Meet the Composer, as well as the Django...