First time performing with wonderful Italian bass player Andrea Grossi, as part of his avant-garde under-ground unconventional series of improvised music. Hosted by Rete Culturale Cantosospeso.
9-piece Ensemble performance of The Secret Lives of Colour, featuring Basel’s finest improvisers, and visiting guest artists Gerry Hemingway (USA/CH), Andrea Grossi (ITA), and Gordon Grdina (CAN). This event will be recorded for future release on Afterday Audio!
HELIOTROPE (Gordon Grdina and François Houle) are looking forward to performing compositions from their upcoming album, Byzantium (Afterday Audio 2501) at Jazztopad Festival. They are part of an incredible line up of artists, including Kris Davis, Sarah Murcia with Mat Maneri, Denardo Coleman, Michael Bates, Abdullah Ibrahim, and more…
For more info, go to the official JAZZTOPAD WEBSITE
Looking forward to playing at Kühlspot Berlin for the very first time! I’ll be joined by fantastic improvisers Emilio Gordoa vibraphone, Liz Allbee trumpet, and Alexander Frangenheim double bass. Thanks to Alexander for setting this up!
SoHo (François Houle & Joe Sorbara) are thrilled to be performing at this year’s Sound Symposium in St-John’s NFLD. From the 16th to the 24th of July they will be presenting their music and collaborating with several artists in attendance at this latest edition of this legendary festival.
Résidence artistique avec Lamia Yared dans le cadre du Festival d’Été de Vancouver.
Heliotrope (François Houle & Gordon Grdina) present their latest works at Site Jazz Festival in Italy.
Italian Premiere of The Secret Lives of Colour, with an all-star line up!
A rare duo appearance with master pianist Georg Graewe in Vienna
Solo in Vienna, Monday Improvisers Sessions @ Celeste
Creative Clarinet Strategies Masterclass
Performing Liquid by John Korsrud with Turning Point Ensemble
Vancouver clarinetist François Houle is a long-time friend of the GJF, first appearing in 1999, presenting repertoire by the under-sung California composer and clarinetist John Carter. Here, he pays homage to another deceased west coast hero of creative music, Ken Pickering, founding Artistic Director of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Appropriately, it’s Carter’s rich, post-Ellington composing that informs Houle’s suite, which is recently released on Lisbon’s Clean Feed label and, in Guelph, will be played alongside Marco von Orelli (trumpet), Jeb Bishop (trombone), Benoît Delbecq (piano), Michael Bates (double bass), and Harris Eisenstadt (drums).
Twenty years ago, memorably, the great American composer and saxophonist Steve Lacy played some of his last concerts in Guelph. Saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra and clarinettist François Houle are kindred in their deep investigation of Lacy oeuvre, having both studied with him personally. Their Coastlines Duo is a thoroughly wrought, loving exploration of key works from the master’s vast catalogue, those that the spare combination of their instruments can activate in their contrapuntal richness. Like Lacy’s long-time collaboration with saxophonist Steve Potts, Coastlines Duo explores his singular pieces with poise, precision, joy, and animating energy.
Transact Club Duos and more!
Inspired by the great tandems in the history of creative music, such as Carter and Bradford, Coleman and Cherry, the duo music of François Houle and Marco Von Orelli pushes the boundaries between styles, genres, and aesthetics to Forge a unique repertoire that will surprise any avid listener of jazz and new music. Houle and Von Orelli are recognized masters of their instruments, and bring to the table a vast amount of expertise as band leaders, composers, and practitioners of creative avant-garde music.
Make That Flight Album is available HERE or all digital music platforms!
Trav Short and Shane Krause have started a music series for improvised and experimental music, called The Orange Light, and I'll be playing with Marco von Orelli.
Safa is back! With Amir Koushkani, François Houle, and Hamin Honari. Thrilled to be presenting our new compositions, on a shared bill with Gordon Grdina’s The Marrows
CANADA, ÉTATS-UNIS, ANGLETERRE
PREMIÈRE QUÉBÉCOISE
DIMANCHE 21 MAI
CARRÉ 150 (Salle F. Lemaire)
15 H - 34 $
François Houle : clarinette, électroniques
Kate Gentile : batterie
Alexander Hawkins : piano
Voici un trio d’improvisation de haute voltige qui réunit un vieux routier qu’on n’a pas vu à Victo depuis un bail et deux musiciens plus jeunes qui en seront à leur première visite chez nous.
World premiere Trio featuring spectacular musicians from Canada, France and the United Kingdom! Presented by Hélène Aliza’s Galerie 19 jure Paul Fort in Paris.
The fusion of composition - improvisation and improvisation - composition as well as the exploration and extraction of new sounds on her instruments are points of contact in her works.
Two wind instruments at the same time, one tandem? Yes, inspired and in admiration for John Carter and Bobby Bradford. The clarinet and cornet create tonal textures and colors, creating an intimacy that is incredibly appealing!
Make That Flight
François Houle - basset clarinet
Marco von Orelli - cornet/trumpet
Strong from a recent release on the Swiss label ezz-thetics, Houle and von Orelli are touring Switzerland this April to present the latest from this collaboration that now spans almost 5 years.
In their playing, the two skilful musicians extract new sounds from their instruments and explore them. The fusion of composition and improvisation always revives and nourishes their work.
Inspired by the great duos in the history of creative music, such as Carter and Bradford, Coleman and Cherry, the music of the duo François Houle and Marco von Orelli crosses the boundaries between styles, genres and aesthetics to create a unique repertoire that will surprise any avid listener of jazz and new music.
Both Houle and von Orelli play their instruments masterfully and have been active for many years as bandleaders, composers and performers of creative avant-garde music.
““ With a real sensitivity to tone, technique, and creative context, they embody the spirit of Carter and Bradford while avoiding mere imitation.”
— Jason Bivins - Point of Departure”
Inspired by the great tandems in the history of creative music, such as Carter and Bradford, Coleman and Cherry, the duo music of François Houle and Marco Von Orelli pushes the boundaries between styles, genres, and aesthetics to Forge a unique repertoire that will surprise any avid listener of jazz and new music. Houle and Von Orelli are recognized masters of their instruments, and bring to the table a vast amount of expertise as band leaders, composers, and practitioners of creative avant-garde music.
The trio of Charlotte Hug, François Houle, and Linda Bouchard creates live immersive audio-visual performances that playfully oscillate between digital and analog spaces. Live performance, hand drawn Sound Icons by Charlotte Hug, and digital translation with Ocular Scores™ are processed interactively.
Linda Bouchard, composer with Ocular Scores™ and live electronics
François Houle, clarinet and bass clarinet with live electronics
Charlotte Hug, viola and voice with live electronics and Sound Icons.
Special collaborator: Lori Freedman - contrabass and bass clarinets
Itaca 4et completes its Tour of Italy with a performance at Casa del Jazz presented as part of the Rome Jazz Festival.
Thrilled to be visiting this town for the first time with this band. We’ll try and straighten out that tour with our incendiary playing!
Playing in Villach, Austria with ITACA 4et, sharing the evening with Eric Friedlander The Thro
Thrilled to kick off a week of touring with ITACA 4et in the beautiful town of Trieste, Italy!
Performing in trio for the first time with UK pianist Alexander Hawkins and French bassist Joëlle Léandre. This concert will be recorded for future release on Afterday Audio.
For more info and tickets: https://luluperformingarts.ca/events/two-concerts-two-unique-takes-on-the-art-of-improvisation/
Rare opportunity to hear this formation, with extraordinary pianist Alexander Hawkins, and NYC drummer Kate Gentile. IronFest III has even more great musicians over 3 nights. Check it out!!!
A superstar line up of musicians perform François Houle’s new suite based on Kassia St Clair’s best-selling book The Secret Lives of Colour.
Kassia St Clair’s best-selling book The Secret Lives of Colour is described as “a mind-expanding tour of the world” (Simon Garfield) that “will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light.” (Elle)
The book was inspiration for clarinetist, composer, and improviser François Houle to create a rich and imaginative suite inspired by the moods and feelings that colours invoke.
For the Canadian premiere of The Secret Lives of Colour, François has assembled an unbeatable band of superstar musicians and improvisers from around the world. Together, they’ll take you on a musical journey that bridges colour and sound, and connects the real world to imagination.
François Houle - basset clarinet
Alexander Hawkins - piano
Joëlle Léandre - double bass
Gordon Grdina - guitar, oud
Kate Gentile - drums
Hamin Honari - percussion
use code "HARAM50" to get 50% off tickets): https://chancentre.com/events/makaya-mccraven/
Thrilled to share the bandstand with the ever ebullient Bill Clark on trumpet. I’ve known Bill since I first moved to Vancouver in 1990. He’s been one of my favourite musicians on the scene all this time. I feel it’s a huge honour and privilege to get to play with this ever so cereative and wonderful human being! And to add to your listening pleasure, I have Karlis Silins on bass and Kenton Loewen on drums to guarantee sparks will fly!
François Houle and Marco von Orelli met in Basel in 2019 and immediately began a musical conversation that taps into the rare duo format of clarinet and cornet. Inspired by their forbearers John Carter and Bobby Bradford, Make That Flight explores the duo format to reveal a rare kinship, a quasi telepathic musical conversation that challenges preconceived notions of this type of instrumentation.
