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François
Richard C flute and Alto flute, Geoff Lapp Piano,
Frédéric Alarie Double bass, Michel Lambert
Drums
Recorded in Studio 12 Radio-Canada Mtl February 2005
Mixed in Studio 12 Radio-Canada Mtl March 2005
Sound recording and mixing Pierre Plante
Director Alain Bédard
Jacket graphic design Pascal Milette
Cri Communications
Photos Pierre Crépô
Translation Normand Richard
Compositions / arrangements - SOCAN François Richard
Except «Scout Boots» Geoff Lapp
Booking François Richard and Consultart, Pierre
Bertrand
Producer François Richard
production Effendi Records
CD Ad Infinitum available via
EFFENDI RECORDS
Site
Thanks to Carole Therrien, Alain Chénier, Claire Lawrence,
my friends and family for their encouragement, to musicians of the
group for their creativity, to the production team who have achieved
a remarkable work, and to Le Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du
Québec for their support during this decisive time of
my career.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Canadian Government
through Canada Music Funds.
Thanks to Musicaction. |
AD INFINITUM
Jazz flutists have never been an overly abundant breed. And that
begs the question: Why? The instrument's refined elegance and charm
make it a natural partner of the piano, and musical encounters with
flute are often of the intimate, peaceful kind. Yet, a quick survey
of the jazz world reveals that the flute's principal protagonists
can all be counted on the fingers of one hand, with Hubert Laws
and Herbie Mann by far the most prominent. Is François Richard
one of these unconventional, non-conformist figures, a peculiar
denizen of the jazz jungle, running counter to more popular trends?
Or is he a headstrong trailblazer?
"The flute brings with it a dimension not found in other instruments;
it adds a luminous quality to jazz," says Richard. Jazz is
a language of dizzying uncertainty. François Richard, in
his late forties, fits that definition perfectly. Never one to subject
his colleagues to his authority, he would rather suggest than assert,
always leaving ample room for dialogue.
And here finally is the long-awaited Ad Infinitum. In this, his
fifth album as soloist, Richard reveals with eloquence the slow-ripened
fruits of his inspiration. With him are Michel Lambert on drums,
Geoff Lapp on piano and Frédéric Alarie on double
bass, forming a quartet of old acquaintances gathered like friends
around a table.
"I'm
very pleased with the group's chemistry, with the ease of interaction.
Unlike my previous album Coïncidence, we've had the chance
to perform these pieces often before recording them, and so they've
evolved along the way". Richard composed ten of the eleven
pieces, and Geoff Lapp wrote the track no. nine on the CD, Scout
Boots.
"The album unites different styles within the framework of
one homogenous sound. That was the challenge: to bring together
a wide palette of colours and styles ranging from Latin to be-bop,
modal jazz, funk jazz, and even Debussy post-impressionism".
The theme of defiance, ever-present in Richard's work, can also
be found here. Conversations with his friends are always animated
and opinionated, and this joyful complicity is palpable throughout
his new work, revealing the many facets of a true revolutionary
spirit. Each performer brings to the table his own ideas, his
own personal feelings for the music; singular inspiration becomes
plural.
Student
of Jean-Pierre Rampal during the sixties, co-leader of l'Orchestre
Sympathique in the early 80's, esteemed session man, composer
of soundtracks (including the classic Québécois
film Les bons débarras), tireless performer, fascinating
composer and hard-working producer, François Richard is
without doubt an outstanding figure in Canadian Jazz. Let yourself
be carried away by Ad Infinitum and you'll soon discover why.
Claude Côté, Journalist, May 2005
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