Saturday 12 September | 2:45pm | Royal City Mission
Celebrating the release of Aerials, Guelph (2008)
François Houle . clarinets, electronics
The story that leads to this exciting set of music speaks to the kinds of magical synchronicity that tend to rise to the surface to let us know that things are meant to be. Last year, while going through the festival’s recorded archive looking and listening for sounds to use in the stunning “Six Turntables” workshop and performance that took place at GCVI, Christopher Willes came across a recording of François Houle playing solo at the 2008 Guelph Jazz Festival. François was elated to learn that the set had been recorded, so happy that he will revisit—with a twist we’ll leave as a surprise—the material he explored in Guelph eighteen years ago in celebration of an official release of that unearthed performance: Aerials, Guelph (2008) on his own Afterday Audio label.
Clarinetist François Houle has established himself as one of today’s most inventive musicians, in all of the diverse musical spheres he embraces. Inspired by collaborations with the world’s top musical innovators, François has developed a unique improvisational language, virtuosic and rich with sonic embellishment and technical extensions. He has worked with Dave Douglas, Mark Dresser, Joëlle Léandre, Benoît Delbecq, Evan Parker, Samuel Blaser, Gerry Hemingway, Marilyn Crispell, Myra Melford, René Lussier, Alexander Hawkins, John Butcher, Kris Davis, Georg Graewe, Håvard Wiik, Guillermo Gregorio, Eyvind Kang, Hasse Poulsen, and many of Canada and the International scene’s top creative music artists. His extensive touring has led to solo appearances at major festivals across Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. A prolific recording artist, he has released over twenty recordings as a leader, earning multiple Juno Award and West Coast Music Award nominations. He is the founder of Afterday Audio, a record label dedicated to the documentation and dissemination of his many musical projects and collaborations. In addition, he has appeared on numerous recordings on the Songlines, Red Toucan, Leo Records, Drip Audio, PSI, Between-the-Lines,Nuscope, Spool, hat[now]ART, Redshift, CRI, among others.
“My solo practice consists of architecturally conceived sets of improvisations and carefully crafted compositional “signposts” that delve into and explore the clarinet and basset clarinet’s uncharted territories. This approach was initially developed during an inspiring five-week residency in the picturesque setting of Italy at the historic 15th century Castello Civitella Ranieri in the year 2007. Over time, this practice has evolved into a complex and seductive sonic web that intricately takes the listener deep inside the instrument itself. Technically, this innovative project taps deeply into my natural inclination for the unexpected and the unconventional, ranging from disembodied clarinets being played simultaneously to ethereal flute-like melodies that linger in the air. By examining the way the instrument “reacts” to various acoustical spaces, this artistic program embodies virtuosity seamlessly coupled with stunning lyricism that captivates the audience.”