Elements
$20.00
Our new Trio album « Elements » with Michel Lambert, John Edwards and I is out now on FMR Records (UK). #jazz #freejazz #improvmusic #improvisation #altosax #drums
Elements and Roar of Joy recorded live at the l’Klectik Art Lab, The Horse Improv Music Club in London, May 31, 2016. Recording engineer and mastering Jeff Ardron, Saint Austral Sound.
Wilderness recorded live at the 20th Festival Jazz Cerkno, May 22, 2015. Recording engineer Borut Čelik. Mixing and mastering François Carrier.
Photos and artwork by François Carrier
© ℗ 2018 FMR Records / ColyaKooMusic
**** Elements FMR Records FMRCD501 Francois Carrier (as, Chinese oboe); Michel Lambert (dr); John Edwards (b). May 2015, May 2016. By Maciej Lewenstein
François and Michel are back with John Edwards, but without Steve Beresford. These wonderful live recordings stem from Cerkno Festival 2015 and a concert in I’Klectik in London in 2016. The music carries the similar message and energy as the one recorded in the quartet, but is more concentrated and focused on interpersonal dialogues an synergies. “Elements” is a nearly 26 minutes long suite that starts with the strong drumming and bass lines supporting delicate alto of François who gradually starts to depart from the kind free jazz idiom. John oscillates between finger picking and bowing, and so do the moods. The middle part of the track is particularly “unkind”. François blows a hell out of himself and the section follows at the similar level of intensity. In the 9th minute John starts a repetitive bowed motif and the track changes the character, combining more opened with minimalist fragments. In eleventh minute a fragment of silent collective improvisation starts that develops into a bass solo, and then bass and drums duo. François comes back and continues for a while in the tranquilizing mood, but turning back to a more explosive statements soon. Fantastic track, a paradigmatic example of the trio’s synergy and mutual understanding. “Roar of Joy” has only a little more than 5 minutes and has a fragmented “theme”, reminding me of some themes of Ornette Coleman. The section make again wonders here. Again, the track becomes quite dynamic and free in the middle, returning to the kind free jazz at the end. The closing “Wilderness”, recorded in Cerkno, is the best. It has a wonderful beginning, with alto passage of intensive beauty, and the section realizing complex rhythmic gures. In the middle part, the free jazz governs François uses even some over blowing techniques. After a short bass and drums solo he changes for short to the Chinese oboe. After come back to the alto, the track attains a character of a (relatively) peaceful ballad. There another fragment with the oboe and the nal, culminating on alto. Wonderful track, and wonderful album!!!