Nouvel Ensemble de Musique ImproviséeL’appellation NoEMI existe depuis 1998, date de son premier concert au Festival de Jazz de Québec (avec, comme invité, le saxophoniste Dewey Redman). En 2003, afin d’expérimenter et d’explorer davantage les possibilités infinies de la musique acoustique improvisée, François Carrier fonde Le Nouvel Ensemble de Musique Improvisée (NoEMI). NoEMI réunit différents musiciens-compositeurs d’ici et d’ailleurs dans un esprit d’échange et de création.
Comme directeur artistique de NoEMI, François Carrier a produit et organisé plus d’une centaine de concerts de jazz et de musique improvisée ainsi que plusieurs ateliers de musique improvisée à Québec, Montréal et à l’étranger. Trois importantes séries de concerts eurent lieu à Montréal en 2005, 2006 et 2008 avec plusieurs musiciens et artistes invités. Depuis, François Carrier a continué ses pérégrinations en Europe, en Europe de l’Est et plus récemment en Asie. Il a ainsi présenté de nombreux concerts en compagnie de musiciens invités comme, entre autres le batteur Michel Lambert, le pianiste russe Alexey Lapin, le contrebassiste anglais John Edwards, le bassiste polonais Rafal Mazur. NoEMI nous offre notamment des concerts de musique improvisée accompagné de projections vidéo composées de photographies prises lors de leurs voyages musicaux.
La plupart de ces projets ont été rendus possibles grâce à l’aide du Conseil des Arts du Canada, du Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec et à l’appui financier de plusieurs commanditaires importants.
Corporation sans but lucratif depuis février 2003, NoEMI veut appuyer la pratique musicale de François Carrier en lui apportant un soutien à la création, à la diffusion, à la production et à la promotion pour toutes ses activités artistiques et musicales.
NoEMI en 2008
28 février Église Anglicane, Montréal QC
29 février Église Anglicane, Montréal QC
01 mars Église Anglicane, Montréal QC
02 octobre Palais Montcalm, Québec, QC
François Carrier, Ziya Tabassian
et David Hughes
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NoEMI en 2006
Mardi 2 mai à 19h30
Théâtre La Chapelle
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
Yannick Rieu saxophones
Reg Schwager guitare
Sarah Wendt danse
Chantal Lamirande danse
Mercredi 3 mai à 19h30
Théâtre La Chapelle
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
Reg Schwager guitare
John Heward batterie
Lorraine Pritchard peinture en direct
Jeudi 4 mai à 20h
Théâtre La Chapelle
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
Lorraine Pritchard peinture en direct
Vendredi 5 mai à 20h (CBC)
Théâtre La Chapelle
Tomasz Stanko trompette
Gary Peacock contrebasse
Mat Maneri alto
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
Étienne de Massy vidéo
Samedi 6 mai à 20h
Théâtre La Chapelle
Tomasz Stanko trompette
Gary Peacock contrebasse
Mat Maneri alto
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
Étienne de Massy vidéo
Du 13 au 17 octobre Jazzmandu / Kathmandu, Népal
François Carrier saxophones
Michel Lambert batterie
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NoEMI en 2005
8 avril Amphithéâtre du GESÙ « Happening »
François Carrier saxophones
Mat Maneri alto
Uwe Neumann sitar et sanza
Pierre Côté contrebasse
Michel Lambert batterie
Lin Snelling danseuse
Brad Denys danseur
Chantal Lamirande danseuse
Étienne de Massy séquences vidéo
9 juillet Festival International de Jazz de
Montréal au Musée d’art contemporain
François Carrier saxophones
Pierre Côté contrebasse
Michel Lambert batterie
Jose Garcia artiste projectionniste
Étienne de Massy séquences vidéo
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Autres concerts →
 IRWIN BLOCK Nothing but the music Carrier and friends play improv concertsCredit saxophonist Francois Carrier with the integrity and the guts to set the ground rules for five coming concerts: No talking, no smoking, no drinking in the audience.As for the music, it’s a blank slate and will stay that way until the musicians hit the first note and begin improvising.That’s fine by guest Gary Peacock, one of the pre-eminent bass players in jazz and one-third of the most successful improvising ensemble on the planet, the one with pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette.From his home in Claryville, N.Y., Peacock said he was intrigued by the prospect of reuniting with Carrier. They had performed here in 2003 with pianist Paul Bley, and recorded Traveling Light. “I’m kind of interested to see how this is going to unfold. It could be something really nice and really unique.”Peacock and Carrier will perform May 5 and 6 with trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, violist Mat Maneri and drummer Michel Lambert, closing the five-day series at the Theatre La Chapelle.Although he has played with such giants as pianist Bill Evans and saxophonist Albert Ayler, Peacock says the gigs here will be unique in that a video artist, Etienne de Massy, will be creating on stage as the musicians perform.“I’ve never been involved with a musical project that had something extra-musical connected with it. As long as I am not pressed to interact, I should be all right because I usually play with my eyes closed.”Peacock says that he has been playing free – as opposed to structured – music for so long that there is not much difference for him between the two.“The music happens from a different place. It’s all about the ear, and once I surrender to the ear, the rest of it takes care of itself,” he said.“There is no intention that free music has to sound a certain way or that structured music has to obey particular guidelines. Structured music is about the melody; free music can be about the shape or the context.“Once you can let all that go, the musical environment is what provides the opportunity for expression of music.” |
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| IMPROV A current gets going between audience and musicians |
| There are never any guarantees, but Peacock stresses that most of the musicians who play free are “incredibly well-schooled” and the musical moment can be “something very novel.”“There is no reference for the performer except their own conditioning and the way their ears have developed, and there is no reference for the audience except for them to listen and open up to it.”An eager audience gives “impetus to the music. It’s kind of like a partnership, the energy from the audience affects us, and what we’re doing is going to affect the audience. And you get a current moving.”For Carrier, a Juno award winner, the deeper he delved the more irresistible was the pull to total improv.“I decided to develop my own identity, since I have one. I decided not to play other people’s music any more and to focus on who I really am.”On stage, Carrier said, “I never think of the past or the future, I always try to be present.”“The most important thing is having the interactive ear.“If you are very present in the here and now then your ears become open. The ego goes away and something very deep and spiritual happens.”When Carrier called trumpeter Stanko and told him there are no charts, Stanko replied, “perfect, all I’ll have to do is meditate a little bit.”The series kicks off on Tuesday with a quartet featuring saxophonist Yannick Rieu, guitarist Reg Schwager and dancers Sarah Wendt and Chantal Lamirande. Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., the quartet features free drummer John Heward, with action painter Lorraine Pritchard creating on stage. Thursday at 8 p.m. Carrier is in a duo with drummer Michel Lambert. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. it’s a quintet with Peacock, Stanko, Maneri and video artist de Massy.Concerts are at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 St. Dominique St. Tickets for the first three concerts cost $12 each, or $10 for students. Tickets for the concerts with Peacock, Stanko and Maneri cost $25 each, or $18 for students. Call (514) 843-7738.Published: Thursday, April 27, 2006 |
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  brève musique François Carrier Avoir de la suite dans les idées est une constance pour réussir. Le saxophoniste alto François Carrier, qui partage sa vie entre le Vieux Continent et Montréal, nous invite à un mini festival de musique improvisée. Sous le thème de la démesure ou presque, Il recevra à la tête de son ensemble quelques fines lames du jazz que l’on voit peu souvent, hormis lors des grands événements. Amis de la note bleue, salivons puisque le grand contrebassiste Gary Peacock (Sonny Rollins, Roland Kirk, Paul Bley) sera des nôtre vendredi 5 et samedi 6 mai avec le trompettiste Tomasz Stanko, pilier de l’étiquette ECM, ainsi que le violoniste Mat Maneri. En plus, peintre, danseuses et vidéaste se joindront à cette équipe. Jazz éclaté assuré. Christophe Rodriguez ici / 27 avril 2006 |
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| Maneri, Peacock, Stanko, Carrier and Lambert (Evening 4 of the Happening Musical Series) May 5, 2006 Théâtre La Chapelle This was the ideal opportunity to catch (soon-to-be) 71 year-old bassist Gary Peacock, a legendary artist who’s worked with Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, Roland Kirk, Miles Davis, and most recently, pianist Keith Jarrett and percussionist Jack DeJohnette. Théâtre La Chapelle is a quaint 90-seat location tucked away from the hussle and bussle of St-Laurent Boulevard, just one street east on St-Dominique. In fact it was so quaint, I could easily see Gary Peacock when he actually opened his eyes from time to time, and was quick to notice his nimble fingers from the very start, subtly entranced in the surroundings. Local saxophone hero François Carrier was behind the entire 5-night series (which also featured guitarist Reg Schwager, drummer John Heward, and saxophonist Yannick Rieu during the week). He welcomed the participants to the imagination séance, then directly asked everyone to put away their cell phones and avoid taking any photographs- “or else”. The quintet delivered exactly what most in attendance expected; good old fashioned jazz improvisation, free of restraints and open to endless possibilities. Before some suitably evocative, if not occasionally erratic film sequences by video artist Etienne de Massy, the improvisation team provided two captivating two-piece sets, never losing sight of the convocation, really hitting their stride during the latter portion, when bassist Peacock and trumpeter Tomasz Stanko performed a riveting sequence of inventive beauty, displaying their talent like that small moment before the paint splashes to the canvas, only extended out of pure pleasure for the impressionable instant. The others later joined in, turning everything into a full landscape of fanciful delight. Violinist Mat Maneri was equally impressive (despite a long train ride from NYC), his towel over the shoulder the entire time, gently smothering the strings with his bow, toying with drama over expressive facial gestures. Montreal percussionist Michel Lambert may have been the biggest surprise, masterfully towering over the kit with depth and precision, not to mention a snazzy outfit. A deeply satisfying experience on a night when I was just suppose to stay home and watch a little hockey. Jay Jay Erickson |