Jean-Marie is a self-taught pianist who began playing at age eight and performed in dance orchestras in Guadeloupe. After living in Canada from 1967 to 1970, he settled in Paris in 1973, where he accompanied renowned jazz musicians such as Chet Baker and Max Roach. He formed his own trio in 1979, blending bebop with Caribbean influences. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he collaborated with artists like Barney Wilen and Dee Dee Bridgewater, producing notable works including Biguine Reflections. He also gained recognition for his solo album Afterblue(1999), which won the Prix Boris Vian, while continuing diverse collaborations.