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Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Jean Michel Pilc Trio at the Green Mill, May 14-15

Written by Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor

Friday, 07 May 2010

“…When you are an artist, everyday has to be the first and last day of your life, same for every concert…” Jean-Michel Pilc

Jean-Michel Pilc©Andrea Canter

A prolific pianist and composer who has received two Chamber Music America grants for new music composition, Jean-Michel Pilc brings his latest trio to the Green Mill in Chicago, May 14-15. With Boris Kozlov and Billy Hart, he is celebrating the release of his new Dreyfus recording, True Story.

Now a US resident for more than a decade, French native Jean-Michel Pilc taught himself to play piano. Before moving to the U.S., he had toured throughout Europe, participating on numerous recordings and film scores. In New York, Pilc formed a trio with François Moutin (bass) and drummer Ari Hoenig. The trio became a popular fixture in Big Apple venues such as the Blue Note, Birdland, Knitting Factory, and Sweet Basil. Pilc also worked as musical director and pianist for Harry Belafonte. In 2000, Pilc was awarded the Django Reinhardt Prize from the French Jazz Academy. Also in 2000, Pilc’s trio released a pair of acclaimed recordings, Jean-Michel Pilc Trio - Together - Live at Sweet Basil, NYC - Vol. 1 & 2 (A-Records) before Pilc signed on to Dreyfus Jazz; the trio then released Welcome Home in 2002 which was highly successful critically and commercially. Noted Neal Tesser, “Pilc's playing reveals a roaring fire that all but consumes the cosmopolitan sheen stereotypical of European music.... he creates an admirable trialogue with his band mates (bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Ari Hoenig) that represents another stage in the evolution of the interplay brought to piano jazz by Bill Evans."

Boris Koslov©Andrea Canter

Welcome Home was followed in 2003 by Cardinal Points, which features Jean-Michel's extended work, “Trio Sonata,” created through a grant from Chamber Music America's New Works: Creation and Presentation Program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. In 2004, Pilc released a solo recording, Follow Me, then came full circle in 2005 with a live trio recording, Live at the Iridium, New York, introducing a new ensemble with Thomas Bramerie on bass and Mark Mondesir on drums. The trio released a follow-up, New Dreams (2007), described by Thomas Conrad in Jazz Times as “ironically irreverent and technically stunning.” Notes John Fordham (The Guardian), “Pilc hurls the kitchen sink into everything he does - irrepressible quotations from all over the jazz tradition, drummer-like affection for the explosive accent followed by the double-taking silence, streams of fluid improvised melody over a fast groove one moment, bumpy disruptions of the pulse and skews to the harmony the next.” Pilc is currently touring in support of his new trio recording, True Story (Dreyfus), accompanied by his latest trio with Boris Kozlov on bass and Billy Hart on drums. He will soon begin work on a new quartet project (“Together”) with Francois Moutin, Ari Hoenig and Joel Frahm, and a septet (“The Big One”) is in the works as well. When not performing solo or with his trio, Pilc teaches master classes and clinics, and is on the faculty of New York University and the New School.

At native of Moscow, Boris Kozlov began music studies on piano, tuba and trumpet in public school bands, picking up electric and then acoustic bass in college. He’s been based in New York since the mid 90s and a member of the Mingus Big Band since 1998. Over his career, Kozlov has played with a long list of jazz luminaries, including Bobby Watson, Benny Golson, James Moody, Ravi Coltrane, Michel Petrucciani, Joe Locke, Mark Whitfield and more.

Billy Hart©Andrea Canter

One of the unsung stars of modern jazz drumming, Billy Hart has appeared on over 600 recordings, including appearances with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Michael Brecker, and Joe Lovano. A native of Washington, DC, among his first employers were local stars Shirley Horn and Buck Hill, while during the 60s he toured with Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Eddie Harris and Pharoah Sanders. For three years, he was the drummer for the Herbie Hancock Sextet, followed by stints with McCoy Tyner and Stan Gets in the mid to late 70s. Throughout the 80s, Hart played with the bands of Gerry Mulligan, Billy Harper, Clark Terry, Mingus Dynasty, and particularly with Quest (Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach and Ron McClure). He worked with Charles Lloyd, Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell in the 90s, backing the Three Tenors (Liebman, Lovano and Michael Brecker) starting in 1999. His touring quartet includes Ethan Iverson, Ben Street and Mark Turner.

The Green Mill is located at 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago; 773-878-5552; www.greenmilljazz.com. Sets Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 9 pm; $12 cover. The Jean-Michel Pilc Trio will be at the Iridium in New York City on May 28th; www.iridiumjazzclub.com

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