Gratitude Suite

Synopsis

“In my vinyl collection, there are quite a few items I treasure. The sound is not perfect but you can hear improvising musicians in their natural habitat, the jazz club, playing music for the sake of music, never repeating themselves, and creating sounds that they will never replicate.

Improvisation is often associated with freedom, but beware of appearances. When inspiration strikes, music has a way to lead you from one moment to the next that gives you no choice but to follow the flow. And when all members of the band hear the same sound, all of it, and react not as individuals but as part of that sound, then it feels like home, or family. Unpredictability becomes evidence.

When Jim, Rémi-Jean and I played that night for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, that feeling of evidence was palpable, more than ever. The music was vital, to us and to the audience, and we experienced the full gamut of human emotions. The concert was recorded, and I felt that the technical limitations of the recording were not a sufficient reason to keep the tape under wraps – and thanks to Guy Hébert’s mastery of mastering, the final impression is actually pretty close to what you do experience in the venue. Montréal is lucky to have such a beautiful club as Dièse Onze, and I’m sure the listener will feel the warmth and swinging atmosphere of the place.

Since a while ago, all my concerts are totally improvised – no set list, nothing prepared, just let the music lead the way. I come on stage as a newborn, ready for a new life, a new journey, a new experience every time. My bandmates are part of that experience as much as I am myself, every note they play becomes part of this life we are living together on the stage. We felt especially and intensely alive that night, and I hope that you, the listener, will share that feeling.” ~ Jean-Michel Pilc