Podcast 908: A Conversation with Jean-Michel Pilc

"Since a while ago, all my concerts are totally improvised – no set list, nothing prepared, just let the music lead the way. I come on stage as a newborn, ready for a new life, a new journey, a new experience every time. My bandmates are part of that experience as much as I am myself, every note they play becomes part of this life we are living together on the stage." - Jean-Michel Pilc Alive–Live at Diese Onze Montreal (Justin Time Recors) is a rare treat for fans of improvised music in general, and piano trios in particular.  For, pianist Jeam-Michel Pilc, bassist Rémi-Jean LeBlanc and drummer Jim Doxas, this concert recording was their "break-out" after COVID-19 had effectively ended live performance for 18 months or so. The crowd was ready, the musicians set - and the result captures one of those nights like lightning in a bottle.  While the tunes are standards like "Nardis," and "Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise" plus a pair of Pilc originals,  titles do not accurately describe the music made by the trio. The best example comes on "All Blues," where the classic melody is barely quoted, and time, tempo and harmonic sensibilities are left behind as the band takes the tune to places Miles and Trane never contemplated.  Enormously prolific and multi-faceted as composer and pianist, including musical directorship for Harry Belafonte; a duet performance with operatic legend Jessye Norman; a large-scale commissioned work based upon a  Charlie Chaplin classic; and over a dozen albums as a leader and almost as many as co-leader, Jean-Michel Pilc has become one of the most highly respected pianist/composers of the past 25 years. Alive may give him even wider acclaim and exposure  Podcast 908 is my conversation with Jean-Michel, as we talk about his refusal to categorize his music or let his choice of songs dictate where the improvisation will go. While I rarely post long tracks on my podcasts, the scintillating "All Blues" is included in its entirety.