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.

Francois Carrier Trio + 1 with Bobo Stenson, "Entrance 3", EnTRANCEs

Francois Carrier has style. He keeps a balance between sound, linear content and expressivity in ways that are original and enlivening. When he gathered his alto, his trio and guest Bobo Stenson on piano at the Vancouver Jazz Fest in 2002, there was some magic in the air. It's captured on Entrance 3 (Ayler 106) and captured well.

One thing, at least, is clear. Francois Carrier needs to be paid more attention. This is a freely expansive set of extended improvisations, with Pierre Cote and Michel Lambert (bass and drums) setting up turbulent, many faceted foundations for the flights of Carrier and Stenson.

As I've been listening to this album I have come to realize that both (latter) artists have not been given enough credit. Stenson sounds his usual well-prepared, modern self, and if you hear him at work on this session you realize that he still has much to say, that we should be listening to him with greater attention. And Francois has the presence of a player that has found his own style and continues to perfect it.

All of the four somewhat lengthy pieces are band collaborations. There are melodic motifs, rhythmic feels and tatoos that sound like they have been pre-planned. And then there's plenty of smart, empassioned improvising.

This is excellent music. Simply put.