**** Entrance 3 Ayler Records aylCD-106
Francois Carrier (as); Michel Lambert (dr); Bobo Stenson (p);
Pierre Côté (b). July 2002.
My beloved kind free jazz masters meet my beloved contemporary jazz pianist!!! Note, however, that this is really an early gem! The album was recorded live by Marc L’Espérance at the Vancouver Jazz Festival in July 2002, although it was released in 2011 only. The style of François and Michel was already quite mature, but the music of the quartet does carry still in fluences of the John Coltrane Quartet and even more of the early Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson Quartet. Whatever the in fluences are, the music is grandiose superpositions of originality of François and Michel with creativity of Bobo, and supported by the phenomenal bass lines of Pierre Côté is magni ficent.
The set starts with a nearly 13 minutes long “All’Alba” in a Coltrane mood, with the beautiful solos of the the alto and a shot, but essential solo of the piano. “Lekh Leka” has a nice, full of expression theme, and then a quite rapid rhythm texture supporting saxophone and piano duo, again with a great work of the section. The following piano solo breaks hearts (at least mine). François is back with the strong statement of the theme in the nal. “Entrance 3”, in contrast, has a Garbarek-mood, with a jolly theme played unison by the alto and the piano. The solos follow then I like especially the piano one, but the following saxophone one with the wonderful, rapid “walking bass” background of the section is also marvelous. The set ends with a ballad “L’Etang”, starting with a nice cadenza of the bowed bass, followed by the main theme and another pair of ingenious solos. Excellent record, anticipating the glorious future!