March 29, 2020 – Barcelona, Spain
**** OUTgoing Francois Carrier (as); Steve Beresford (pn); John Edwards (bs); Michel Lambert (dr). FMR Records [FMRCD400]
Two and a half years later, they meet again and recorded another excellent album live at The Vortex Jazz Club in London on May 2014. This time sound, mastering, pictures, art work and production was by by François Carrier himself, and it is brilliant. Music, obviously, is entirely improvised and includes 5 tracks. The opening title piece, “OUTgoing” is notable for breathtaking bowing of John in the introduction. It is a 15 minutes long trio track with plenty of solos, duos, and collective improvisations, and even some theme-like-motifs. 19-minute long “Liverpool Street Station” is so full of expression that the “kind free jazz” label does not apply: thus is contemporary free jazz at full scale! “Kingsland Road” is perhaps the most abstract track on which one can hear François on Chinese oboe in the beginning, and Steve on piano. “Gillet Square” is the masterpieces of Steve, a slow ballad wioth wonderful lyrical mood and piano lines. “Stoke Newington” closes the concert: it might be encore, but it is a full time track, lasting 21 minutes and containing once more all the best of this quartet: lyricism and expression, solos and collective efforts, and beauty, beauty, beauty in its essence.