French pianist Jef Gilson (real name Jean-François Quiévreux) came up in the '60s and played in a straight-ahead hard bop style. Notably, he featured the young violinist Jean-Luc Ponty on some early recordings. Gilson was not only a pioneer in independent production, but also an adventurous pianist and composer with a unique approach. He introduced unusual instruments onto his productions such as the balaphone and the farfisa microrgan, but also combined both electric and acoustic basses in order to create a fresh and new sound. Read more on Last.fm