Francois Carrier Trio Blazes it Up on "Inner Spire"

Francois Carrier, alto, Alexey Lapin, piano, and Michel Lambert, drums, show you what they are made of on Inner Spire (Leo 601). It is NOT sugar and spice, and everything nice. It's fire, power, the flames of focused heavy hitting, free music of the extroverted, get-it-all-out sort.

They are live in Moscow, last December 2010. And they are afire with no hook and ladder in sight. Not to be flip though. This is inspired wailing. At times they sound like a commentary on those moments in the late Trane group when Pharoah, Alice C. and Ali are going at it. Only it's not those three but Carrier and company, so there is a different bent to the note-weaving. Carrier doesn't sound like he's channeling somebody else, nor do the others.

From there the trio explores more pointed sound-upon-sound dialogs and some quieter moments. Here too they are in a free-tradition zone, so to speak, but remain themselves.

Clearly they were inspired by their surroundings. They turn in a hell of a series of improvisations. Carrier is an altoist of great power and he has ideal compatriots in Lambert and Lapin.

This is one for your avant collection that you'll want to hear often, I would think. Get it and you'll see. That's how I feel.