François Carrier is a peculiar sax player. His name started popping up more and more in free improv circles during the 2000s, but he already had a long track record in modern jazz circles by then. And even in free improv settings, this Montrealer always retains a highly melodic approach. This puts him closer to
Steve Lacy than to
Evan Parker or
John Butcher. So it came as little surprise when he and his longtime partner, drummer
Michel Lambert, teamed up with former
Lacy sideman
Jean-Jacques Avenel for a string of Canadian dates.
Within documents their concert at the Calgary Jazz Festival, on June 24, 2007. It's a gripping date, feverish and moving. The magic operates from the first note.
Carrier and
Lambert are a tightly knit team, but they are also used to opening up their musical relationship to other improvisers, and they literally embrace
Avenel's bass playing. Switching between alto and soprano sax,
Carrier churns out graceful melodies over a free rhythm section that reacts to his mood swings without following him too closely. On the album, the music is presented in three pieces (there seems to be an edit between parts one and two). "Part 1" is a delicate and lovely piece. The 40-minute "Part 2" sees the trio exploring a number of moods, with
Carrier stretching from a tender tone to a screech, and the rhythm section reaching an impressive level of telepathic playing. "Part 3" kicks off on high energy mode before letting
Avenel take a well-deserved "guest spot."
Within is
Carrier and
Lambert's strongest outing on a free improv label yet. If you haven't noticed them yet, now's the time.