Friday, July 10, 2015

Two new releases from Canadian saxophonist Francois Carrier...now on Jazz from Gallery 41

Saxophonist Francois Carrier whose home base is in Montreal, Quebec a city considered the cultural capital of Canada has two recent releases now heard on Jazz from Gallery 41

"Unknowable" - Not Two Records
The most recent of his recordings is a trio date with Francois on alto saxophone & Chinese oboe, Michel Lambert playing drums, and Rafal Mazur playing bass acoustic guitar

"Unknowable" - Francois Carrier

"io" - FMR Records
A duet recording with Francois again playing alto saxophone and Chinese oboe, with Michel Lambert the drummer

"io" - Francois Carrier and Michel Lambert

A uniquely creative and forward thinking player, Francois Carrier won the Juno Award for "Best Contemporary Jazz Artist" for his album "Compassion" on the Naxos label.  As recently as 2013 he was named on the Downbeat Reader's Poll for Best Alto Saxophone Players.  Francois has released 28 cd's as a leader on labels such as Justin-Time Records, Spool Records, Leo Records (UK), FMR Records (UK), Ayler Records (France), Naxos Jazz, 482 Music (Chicago) and Not Two Records (Poland).  He's played and recorded with Jazz luminaries such as Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, Bobo Stenson, Tomasz Stanko, Uri Caine, Jason Moran, Dewey Redman and many others.  He's spent a good part of this year on tour, and in the Autumn of 2015 his travels will take him into the U.S.A. including dates in New York, Baltimore, and Chicago.

There are plans now in the works to record a conversation with Francois this Summer, and if or when he might get to the West Coast I be sure to get him into the studio for an in-person visit.


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