Jean-Michel Pilc

French pianist Jean-Michel Pilc is a highly regarded improviser and educator recognized for his harmonically dense and technically agile brand of post-bop jazz. Active since the '80s, Pilc gained wider attention following a move to New York where he leads his trio with drummer Ari Hoenig and bassist François Moutin, as on 2000's Together: Live at Sweet Basil and 2011's Threedom. He has taught at McGill University and worked with artists like John Abercrombie, David Liebman, Marilyn Mazur, Roy Haynes, and Stephane Wrembel. He has collaborated on several albums with saxophonist Sam Newsome, including 2017's Magic Circle and 2023's Cosmic Unconsciousness Unplugged. He also showcased his dual tenor saxophone group with Al McLean and John Sweenie on 2025's Total Madness Quintet.