"The big discovery in the acoustic field was Jean-Michel Pilc. The pianist, making his debut at the festival,... raced up and down the scales like a madman with his right hand... His sound is majestic, his statements urging. Supported by an equally strong rhythm section it didn't take him much effort to get Carel-Willinck Hall steaming..."

NRC Handelsblad, reporting on the North Sea Jazz Festival appearance

"Dazzling, at once...The trio functions marvelously" ...First, this art of absorbing the oldest standards while respecting them, in a gesture of love. Also: the exquisite synchronisation between the six hands. And, above all, these almost imperceptible time-lags which are part of a signature, of this singularity which feeds on violence and silence, and thanks to which Jean-Michel Pilc is above, beside and far away from the pack... The music of this trio has all the virtues of "jazz" at their height, it breathes with its history and blows its actuality. Burning!"

Philippe Carles
Jazz Magazine
Disque D'émoi (highest rating)
Selection of the year 2000

"I am absolutely stunned by the work of pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, who has already built a formidable body of work in his native France... The rhythm section sizzles under (his) leadership"

Bob Dorough

"Watch out!...this live music is lava, which burns all in its wake, and sweeps everything along in its swirl of white-hot urgency.... Pilc has invented the most triumphant trio of the present jazzosphere. Three balls of energy in the service of a 'volcanic fusion' jazz... an amazingly physical presence... an intense communion, a sensual osmosis which are absolutely exceptionnal... the other day, drummer Daniel Humair was hearing the group live for the first time, and he was overwhelmed. 'The best thing I've heard in 30 years.' You have to believe him. Yes indeed, the Pilc trio is one of the great joys of this ending millenium."

Pascal Anquetil, Virgin Megapress, December 2000

"A love story between the musicians, and we can hear it! This CD does Pilc's art justice. An art madly rigorous (vertiginous technique, awesome deconstruction-reconstruction of the tunes) and fundamentally sensual. Pilc is asserting himself as one of the major voices of contemporary piano. Stunning!"... "Pilc sounds like nobody else but Pilc."... "Art Tatum meets Cecil Taylor; how could we resist these crazy versions of "Honeysuckle Rose" and "C Jam Blues"?"

Bernard Loupias - Le Nouvel Observateur

"...make no mistake about it, to his credit, Mr. Pilc is very unique... I would say that this trio starts at Mars, and then goes from there. Don't expect anything resembling conventional interpretations. This is fascinating and rewarding music...The level of empathy and sensitivity in this group is also stunning. They can stop or shift gears on a dime... For anyone interested in creative and visceral music, this album is an important find. I eagerly await vol. 2"

Rick Helzer, Jazz Improv

The Trio

Jean-Michel Pilc - Piano

Jean-Michel believes that "François and Ari are true innovators, unique and instantly recognizable voices on their respective instruments. Nobody has ever played the bass the way François does, and the same goes for Ari. They have that magic mixture of mastery and abandon, precision and insanity which is so vital to this music. Both are phenomenal musicians, but the most important thing is that when we play together, we don't feel like we play our instruments. We feel like we all play the same big instrument at the same time, the trio, and it's like we are sharing thirty fingers and three brains to make one and only entity. It is a very powerful feeling, musical, physical and sensual simultaneously, which transcends each of us. The whole is better than the sum of its constituents!"

Read Jean-Michel's Complete Interview

Ari Hoenig - Drums

Born November 13, 1973 in Philadelphia, PA, Ariel Hoenig was exposed to music by his parents almost from birth and by age of four, was studying violin and piano. When he was twelve, he switched to the drums.

In 1996, after studying with Ralph Peterson in Philadelphia and Ed Soph at the University of North Texas, Ari moved to New York City and now lives in Brooklyn. His plays regularly with emerging new artists Jean Michel Pilc, James Hurt, the Jazz Mandolin Project, George Colligan, and Josh Roseman as well as recognized masters Mike Stern, Kenny Werner and Shirley Scott.

He has also appeared in concert with Joe Lovano, Dave Holland, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Liebman and Charles Fambrough, among many others.

Ari can be heard on recent releases by Richard Bona, Kenny Werner, the Jazz Mandolin Project, James Hurt, Ari Ambrose, Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Jean-Michel Pilc and Tony Purrone.

His own projects include a solo drum CD, "Time Travels," and a band he co-leads called the Jazz Heads. Both CD's are available on 1K recordings.

In addition to performing, Ari has taught at the Banff International workshop and has done clinics in South Carolina, at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, the Manhattan School of Music, and in Peru and Wales. He is currently co-writing a book about metric modulations.

Visit Ari's website

Francois Moutin - Bass

François Moutin was born in Paris on Christmas Eve 1961, moments after his twin brother Louis. His early interest in music, particularly jazz was encouraged by his parents and at age 5, François began studying guitar. He expanded his musical interests to the piano by age 11. The acoustic bass became his most lasting passion as a teenager. Studying mathematics and physics, François received a college degree in engineering and earned a Doctorate (PhD) in Physics at the age of 24. Only then did he decide to become a professional musician!

Three years later, as a member of the legendary Martial Solal's trio, François was recognized as one of the finest young bass players in Europe.. At 29, he began co-leading the Quintet Moutin with his twin brother Louis, a top echelon jazz drummer. That effort has evolved into the Moutin Reunion Quartet.

When he was still in Paris, François worked with the greatest French Jazz musicians including Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Antoine Hervé, and Daniel Humair. He also performed with Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Niels Lan Doky, Mino Cinelu, Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Toots Thielemans, Didier Lockwood, Larry Schneider, Aldo Romano, James Moody, Terry Lyne Carrington, Richard Galliano, Sunny Murray, Michel Legrand, Archie Shepp, Trilok Gurtu, Bob Berg, Birelli Lagrene. Accordingly, François has performed in every important European Jazz Festival, and has toured in over 30 countries worldwide.

In November 1997, he moved to New York where he worked steadily in live performance and studio sessions with the premier artists on the New York Jazz Scene. A partial list of their names reads like the Yellow Pages of Jazz: Jimmy Heath, Monty Alexander, Benny Powell, Richie Beirach, Dave Liebman, Clark Terry, Oliver Lake, Harry Belafonte, Odean Pope, Don Alias, Rick Margitza and Mike Stern.

Visit François' website

Photo © Larry Fink

Check out the Trio playing the standard, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

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