Jean-Michel Pilc Trio

The Jean-Michel Pilc Trio is another jazz group that I found whilst listening to WVTF. The name of this album is Welcome Home. It features both covers and originals. Without question, the most impressive track is their cover of So What. This also leads off the album. I’ve heard many versions of this standard, but this by far dwarfs everything I’ve heard. Jean-Michel Pilc is a true genius and he has a tight, tight trio. His original stuff is similar to a calculated baboon beating on a piano. It’s hard to get into, other than to say you have to trust that he has a vision he’s chasing. But, just like the scene in Green Card, Pilc is able to turn it around in a millisecond into the most controlled, melodic of songs. His virtuoso is stunning and makes this album a fun one to listen to. To know that human spirit and body can achieve and create this level of virtuosity is awe-inspiring.