Jean-Michel Pilc emerged as one of the rising young European jazz pianists, recording a number of CDs on the Continent, though he had long since become a naturalized American. He makes his debut for a U.S. label with his live solo piano album Essential, a striking mix of fresh interpretations of widely recorded songs and his innovative originals. It would be interesting to imagine what Duke Ellington would say about Pilc's reworking of "Caravan," a playful mix of dramatic chords, uptempo lines, and hand-muting of strings without losing the essence of this timeless composition. He utilizes a disguised introduction to "Someday My Prince Will Come" that incorporates a childlike singing bassline with a piercing staccato chord in his right hand, though he transforms it into a musical daydream that ventures far from the expected route. Pilc's choppy setting of "Take the 'A' Train" also detours onto a new path, incorporating licks from earlier piano giants and adding tricks of his own. It is almost impossible not to laugh aloud hearing Pilc's comic twists in his deliberate arrangement of "Mack the Knife." Pilc has long established himself as a promising composer as well. His six movement "Etude" is a versatile suite that touches on many musical bases. "Essential" suggests a late-night set-closing blues, though the jagged, dark chords accompanying its warm melody quickly change that feeling. Pilc's "Sam" is a pretty ballad with just a touch of melancholy in its brief two minutes. Those who quickly bypass Jean-Michel Pilc's Essential, believing it to be a compilation of earlier recordings, will miss one of the gems of 21st century jazz piano.