Jazz at the highest level tells living stories, and the ones told by the trio are fascinating, nuanced, complex tales, rich in texture, colour and unexpected twists. This concert, recorded in June 2021, marked the trio’s first performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: “The music was vital, both for us and for the audience, and we felt the full range of human emotions.” The music reflects this, taking remarkably winding and varied paths, but always tending towards their final destination. On this journey, as Jean-Michel says: “Unpredictability becomes self-evident”.

However intense the emotions, the trio’s music is brilliantly conceived and totally coherent. It testifies not only to the musicians’ mastery, but also to their mutual understanding, their shared sensibility, and a profound common quest. It’s also an example of collective improvisation at the highest level: “For a while now, all my concerts have been totally improvised – no programme, nothing prepared, just the music to guide us. I take to the stage like a newborn baby, ready each time for a new life, a new journey, a new experience. My companions are as much a part of this experience as I am; every note they play is part of the life we share on stage.

Collective improvisation is often dismissed as a game of chance, based on the hope that the music will work well enough to be appreciated by the audience. But in the hands of superb musicians united by a common direction, the results become exhilarating, captivating and exciting. This is certainly the case here. As the legendary Harry Belafonte once said of Jean-Michel: “Beyond all that can be said about his masterful technique and the beauty of his touch, it is unpredictability that lies at the heart of his remarkable talent.”

The music here contains surprises woven seamlessly and deliciously into each individual piece. Two Miles Davis classics provide an excellent example… from the pure lyrical simplicity of Nardis, like an ever-changing snowfall; to the roar of All Blues, culminating in an explosion of breathtaking intensity and ferocity. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise passes through several musical stages, from its initial melodic fragments to thunderous crescendos and deep grooves that never lose sight of the melody.

Two original Pilc pieces are also included – 11 Sharp, constantly evolving in its melodic variety and emotional intensity; and the title track Alive, an evocative, hypnotically lyrical foray that closes this magnificent album on a subtle and surprising note.

Music like this can only be produced by musicians of the calibre of Pilc, LeBlanc and Doxas. The latter two are by no means simply Pilc’s “accompanists”, as the pianist’s music demands complete commitment from each musician. Throughout the album, the bass and drum solos are an integral part of the pieces and are never incidental; they are an essential part of the textural fabric of each track.

The concert was recorded in its entirety and the additional pieces are available in digital form. You can find the full 2nd set on your favourite streaming or download site. For more information, visit www.justin-time.com/collections/jean-michel-pilc. You’ll find seven additional pieces covering a wide range, including an explosive version of Eddie Harris’s Freedom Jazz Dance, as well as two standards, a sparkling version of Someday My Prince Will Come and a very moving My Funny Valentine; a very unexpected version of Lennon & McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby; an equally surprising version of Jerome Kern’s All the Things You Are; a very beautiful version of Rodgers & Hart’s My Romance; and an explosive Latin journey on Mr. Lennon. P.C. de John Coltrane.

An extremely prolific and multi-faceted composer and pianist, Pilc has also accumulated a number of major professional experiences, including musical direction for Harry Belafonte; a duo performance with opera legend Jessye Norman; a legendary trio with François Moutin and Ari Hoenig; a large-scale commission based on the work of Charlie Chaplin; and more than a dozen albums as leader and many others as co-leader and sideman. Without a doubt, Jean-Michel Pilc is one of the most important pianists/composers of the last 25 years.

Jean-Michel Pilc– piano
Rémi-Jean Leblanc – contrebasse
Jim Doxas – batterie

Credits

Production : Jean-Michel Pilc
Enregistré en live le 26 juin 2021 au Dièse Onze à Montréal, Québec.
Mastered – Octobre 2021 : Guy Hébert au Concrete Mastering à Montréal, Québec.
Photo : Barbara Scales
Cover art ‘Jungle Sun’ : Alex Dodier
Graphisme : Sean House
Coordination : Nancy Marley