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Fran?ois Carrier/Alexander von Schlippenbach/John Edwards/Michel Lambert: Unwalled

By Mark Corroto
January 19, 2023
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François Carrier/Alexander von Schlippenbach/John Edwards/Michel Lambert: Unwalled

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Even if the plan is totally improvised, as is that of Unwalled. The album is the first meeting between Canadian alto saxophonist

François Carrier

saxophone, alto
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Fran?ois Carrier and German-born pianist

Alexander von Schlippenbach

piano
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Alexander von Schlippenbach. The free jazz pioneer Schlippenbach was the founder of the Globe Unity Orchestra back in 1966, and it featured

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann,

Peter Kowald

bass, acoustic
1944 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Kowald,

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink,

Derek Bailey

guitar
1932 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Derek Bailey,

Paul Lovens

percussion
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Lovens and

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker, to name just a few of the future legends of improvised music. Parker and Lovens would later join the pianist to create the celebrated Schlippenbach Trio.

Carrier has been a prolific improvising saxophonist who can nearly always be found in the company of fellow Canadian drummer/percussionist

Michel Lambert

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Lambert. Together the pair have toured and recorded dozens of discs in duo and trio settings. They have also added pianists such as

Bobo Stenson

piano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobo Stenson,

Uri Caine

piano
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Uri Caine,

Paul Bley

piano
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley,

Alexey Lapin

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Alexey Lapin,

Alexander Hawkins

piano
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Alexander Hawkins and

Steve Beresford

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Beresford. Where those keyboard artists often act as the yin to Carrier's yang, Schlippenbach performs a more complementary or reciprocal role. Perhaps it is the generational divide between saxophonist and pianist (some 24 years) that explains the lack of antagonism here.

Their cooperation, the close association between Carrier and Lambert, plus the always masterly hand of British bassist

John Edwards

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">John Edwards, makes this a noteworthy outing. The studio session is comprised of five lengthy plus two brief improvisations. What is conspicuous here is the space the quartet leaves in each of these tracks. They chose to present bright and unobstructed interactions with plenty of space presumably because each musician was deeply listening to the others. Schlippenbach's sound can be described as that of

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor as performed by

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk. He operates both inside and outside of the piano, just as Edwards and Lambert utilize all elements of their instruments. All this allows the saxophonist to whisper and shout as he paints tonal pictures set against maybe the finest rhythm section he has ever assembled.

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Track Listing

Unwalled; Empty Mess; Full Feel; The Play of What Is; Yes Road; Unification; Open End.

Personnel

Fran?ois Carrier

saxophone, alto

Alexander von Schlippenbach

piano

John Edwards

bass, acoustic

Michel Lambert

drums

Album information

Title: Unwalled | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Fundacja Sluchaj

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