Having come to piano playing after having discovered the music of Scott Joplin, he then moved on to stride piano of Thomas "Fats" Waller, James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and started to play in this more difficult style. He also started to collect piano rolls, historic recordings, contemporary artists in ragtime, stride, traditional jazz, Terra Verde... which strongly influenced his way of playing and composing.

After his ragtime years, Gille Monfort started studying euphonium and tuba in French conservatories and became a professional musician, playing in jazz bands and brass bands, and touring worldwide for 10 years.

Nowadays Gilles has stopped touring and concentrates mostly on composing and recording his own music.

More ragtime compositions by Gilles Monfort can be downloaded from the French ragtime page.