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, The New York Times
Born in Paris, and now an American citizen, self-taught Jean-Michel Pilc has performed with Roy Haynes, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jean Toussaint, Rick Margitza, Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, Lenny White, Chris Potter, John Abercrombie, Mingus Dynasty & Big Band, Lew Soloff and Richard Bona. Pilc has also worked with Harry Belafonte, as his musical director and pianist....
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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, The New York Times
Born in Paris, and now an American citizen, self-taught Jean-Michel Pilc has performed with Roy Haynes, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jean Toussaint, Rick Margitza, Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, Lenny White, Chris Potter, John Abercrombie, Mingus Dynasty & Big Band, Lew Soloff and Richard Bona. Pilc has also worked with Harry Belafonte, as his musical director and pianist.
Jean-Michel has signed with Jusitin Time Records and, notably, released his EP VISIONS (2021):
In 2015, Jean-Michel joined McGill University's jazz faculty in Montreal as an Associate Professor, teaching jazz, piano, improvisation.
François Moutin's bass chops are practically unparalleled; his facility in the highest register allows him to double melodies and sound almost like a guitar. - All Music Guide Expert Review
Virtuosic bassist, Moutin was a member of the legendary Martial Solal Trio, and at 29 began co-leading Quintet Moutin with his twin brother Louis, a project which later evolved into the Moutin Reunion Quartet. He regularly composes and tours extensively throughout Europe and the US, including every important European Jazz Festival. François has worked with Jean-Michel Pilc, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Toots Thielemans, James Moody, Michel Legrand, Birele Lagrene, Jimmy Heath, Monty Alexander, Lew Soloff, Billy Hart, Jeff Tain Watts, and Vijay Iyer, among others.
"Ari Hoenig is one of the most maniacally obsessive, spasmodic and musical drummers in jazz." - JAZZ TIMES
Hoenig is known for his unique ability to modify the pitch of a drum, using drumsticks, mallets, and even parts of his body. He can play any note in the chromatic scale, virtually any melody, and even improvise on a chord structure in the same way as any other instrumentalist would.
After playing in each other's trios for some time, Ari and Jean Michel formed the Hoenig Pilc Project in 2006 to meld their two trios into a single, bold musical statement. Ari plays with these two groups at his regular Monday night gig at Smalls in the Village, and presents other side projects and experiments.
Currently, Ari Hoenig tours worldwide and performs weekly at legendary NYC clubs. He is also the co-leader of Pilc, Moutin, Hoenig, with his long time musical partners.
Other artists Hoenig has performed or recorded with include Shirley Scott, Jean Michel Pilc, Mike Stern, Kenny Werner, Joshua Redman, Wayne Krantz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Richard Bona, Chris Potter, Toots Thielemans, Pat Martino.
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