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Francois Carrier

CARRIER knows how to surround himself, find the most compatible partners, and maintain a recorded presence all over the world. His rich, deep playing that blends lyricism with boldness and a sense of surpassing one’s self has earned him a place in the Eight Annual International Critic’s Poll of El Intruso 2015 and in the DownBeat’s 2013 Best Alto Sax Players List.

In 2001 he won a Juno Award in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category for his third album Compassion (Naxos Jazz).

To date, François combines an impressive discography of over thirty internationally acclaimed albums with legendary musicians such as Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, Bobo Stenson, Tomasz Stanko, Uri Caine, Jason Moran, Dewey Redman, Mat Maneri, Sonny Greenwich, Jean-Jacques Avenel, John Edwards, Steve Beresford, Rafal Mazur, etc. Drummer Michel Lambert has been his most faithful collaborator. Together, Michel and François undertook several tours in Europe, Asia and Canada. In 2002, François spent six months in Québec Studio in Rome as a saxophonist- composer where created links with the Italian music scene. He also lived in the Québec Studio in London in 2011, where he worked among other things in the development of his Free Opera and initiates a number of recording sessions with several London musicians.

In 2001 he won a Juno Award in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category for his third album Compassion (Naxos Jazz).

In 2005 he was spotted by British label Leo Records with whom he released five unique albums. Several European avant-garde music labels then join the party such as Creative Sources (Portugal), Ayler Records (Sweden-France), FMR Records (England), Not Two Records (Poland). Following the major international media coverage, the demands keep multiplying. Thus soon, François will publish four new albums recently recorded during his 2015 European tour on NoBusiness Records (Lithuania) For Tune Records (Poland) and FMR Records.

His newest releases iO and OUTgoing on FMR and UNKNOWABLE on Not Two records have been selected in numerous Best Jazz Album 2015 lists. A public appearance of his new Free Opera is in preparation for 2017 in London and St. Petersburg. Many concerts of improvised music, workshops and other artistic activities are planned for the coming years.

Every life form in the universe is a source of vibration, hence music. So let’s sing, dance and play to the sounds of Life. F.C.

Awards

- El Intruso International Critic’s Poll, Best Alto Saxophone (2015) - DOWNBEAT Readers’ Poll, Best Alto Saxophone (2013) - Album « Compassion » Gagnant du Juno Award / Catégorie Jazz contemporain (2001) - Album « Intuition » - En nomination à l’ADISQ / Album jazz de l’année (1998) - Nomination au Gala des Prix d’Excellence des Arts et de la Culture de Québec (1996)

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CD/LP/Track Review

Unknowable by Budd Kopman
iO by Mark Corroto

Multiple Reviews

CD/LP/Track Review

Inner Spire by John Eyles
Entrance 3 by Glenn Astarita
Entrance 3 by Mark Corroto

Citations/press quotes _______________________________________

« Selected in the Alto Saxophone category for the Eight Annual International Critic’s Poll of el intros » el intruso ⎪January 2016

« un cri d’amour au cosmos, aux mystères de la création, au pur plaisir d’exister » David Cristol ⎪Improjazz 221⎪Janvier 2016

« Francois is in his consistently inventive, tone-rich, fire-y and noteful mode on alto as alway » Greg Edwards⎪gapplegatemusic⎪January 29th 2016

« this is a very impressive piece of music captured for eternity on record and deserves to be heard by all Improvised Music connoisseurs

Citations/press quotes _______________________________________

« Selected in the Alto Saxophone category for the Eight Annual International Critic’s Poll of el intros » el intruso ⎪January 2016

« un cri d’amour au cosmos, aux mystères de la création, au pur plaisir d’exister » David Cristol ⎪Improjazz 221⎪Janvier 2016

« Francois is in his consistently inventive, tone-rich, fire-y and noteful mode on alto as alway » Greg Edwards⎪gapplegatemusic⎪January 29th 2016

« this is a very impressive piece of music captured for eternity on record and deserves to be heard by all Improvised Music connoisseurs. » Adam Baruch⎪The Soundtrack Of My Life⎪Dec. 17th 2015

« il loro jazz oggi è troppo avanzato rispetto alla media delle proposte canadesi e troppo sbilanciato nella situazione elitaria della nuova musica improvvisativa, elementi che di fatto ne hanno incomprensibilmente bloccato il loro potenziale di espansione conoscitiva. » Ettore Garzia⎪Percosri Musicali ⎪26 Luglio 2015

« The real star here is the music, in all its freedom and beauty. » Stef Gijssels⎪The FreeJazz Collective⎪June 28, 2015

« You can almost hear him listening (if that’s possible). » Mark Corroto⎪All About Jazz ⎪June 26, 2015

« It’s a real dialogue, played with both freedom and focus. » John Fordham⎪The Guardian⎪Thursday 28 May 2015

« If heaven exists (a big “if”) this is music one could happily listen to for all eternity. More please. » John Eyles⎪The Squid’s Ear⎪May 6, 2015

« … a group that has almost telepathic unity that allows for the use of dynamics that shapes this excellent and exhausting album. » Tim Niland⎪Music and More⎪September 18, 2014

« The trio is a formidable match of like-minded musicians. This is music of great beauty. » Stef Gijssels⎪The FreeJazz Collective⎪September 12, 2014

« The music here displays the same strengths that made the 2010 trilogy so extraordinary. » John Eyles⎪AllAboutJazz⎪July 15, 2014

« Overground to the Vortex documents an intriguingly protean session, inchoate despite the power and lucidity of the player’s individual contributions and their edgy interplay. » Dalston Sounds⎪London⎪June 20, 2014

« This is some free improvisation to define the medium today. This is art! It’s also one of their very best! Listen and be convinced. » Greg Edwards⎪gapplegatemusic⎪July 7, 2014

« Francois incarna una sensibilità perduta nel jazz odierno » Ettore Garzia⎪Percorsi Musicali⎪Mercoledi 4 Giugno 2014

« Ici respire l’art à l’état pur. E’ quasi superfluo sottolineare che anche in questo lavoro si respira arte allo stato puro. » Ettore Garzia⎪Percorsi Musicali⎪Sabato 25 Maggio 2013

« A lively and powerful free improvisation set in line with this fabulous period in Carrier and Lambert’s careers. » François Couture⎪Monsieur Délire⎪2013-06-11

« Here, Carrier’s spirited attack is fused with grace, power and lyrically resplendent voicings, amid ventures into the freer realm. » GLENN ASTRID⎪AllAboutJazz⎪July 2011

« Francois Carrier has style. He keeps a balance between sound, linear content and expressivity in ways that are original and enlivening. » Greg Edwards⎪gapplegatemusic⎪June 2011

« Canadian saxman François Carrier smelts a molten spirituality into a silvery, vibrato-less alto sax sound on anew release that blasts off from Coltrane but find its own trajectory. » Larry Cosentino⎪Signal To Noise⎪Summer 2011

« I’ve described François Carrier’s playing before on several album reviews as a very lyrical player, who can make his alto sing and resonate in a way that is reminiscent of Coltrane, in more than one way, including the expansive and spiritual nature of his improvisations. » Stef Gijssels⎪Free Jazz⎪March 2011

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