 In the late 1970s, Joel was introduced to Thelonious Monk by a friend, Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter.With Phillip Johnston, Forrester co-founded the Microscopic Septet in 1980; he played with the band for 12 years.When in Paris, he developed a reputation as an accompanist to silent films, including performances at The Louvre, and the Musée d'Orsay.