Prolific pianist and composer Jean Beaudet was born in Ottawa, Canada, to a family of musicians. Beaudet learned the piano at 10 and as a young man performed in various local R&B bands, before finishing his musical academic studies at the University of Ottawa. In 1979, Beaudet moved to Montréal, where he performed with local luminaries Guy Nadon, Denny Christianson and Robert Leriche. That same year, he released Danses with Leriche, bassist Claude Simard and drummer Mathieu Léger. In the mid-1980s, he formed his first group as a leader, the Jean Beaudet Quartet, releasing an eponymous album in 1987. His first solo recording in 1997, Musique intérieure, received international praise. In 2009, he released his fifth solo album, the intimate Seul au piano.