Born on 5 June 1961 in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, Carrier launched his professional path as a jazz musician by taking up the alto saxophone in Vancouver during 1979. His bold musical choices quickly drew notice from peers and listeners alike. Settled in Montreal from 1982 onward, he established a reputation as a supple and original voice in free improvisation, particularly once he assembled his trio in 1990 alongside bassist Pierre Coté and drummer Michel Lambert. After issuing Intuition, which earned a nomination for Jazz Album Of The Year at the 1998 Gala de l’ADISQ, the group embarked on a European itinerary that included an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. That same year he established Nouvel Ensemble De Musique Improvisée (NoEMI), an ensemble of sympathetic improvisers that has featured Dewey Redman and Sonny Greenwich among its participants.
Early in 2002 he received a grant from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec and used the award to spend several months writing new pieces in Rome. Subsequent travels across Canada and parts of Europe coincided with further well-received recordings. Across numerous performances and occasional studio dates, the trio has welcomed additional pianists such as Steve Amirault, who contributed to the Juno Award-winning Compassion (2000), Paul Bley and Gary Peacock on Traveling Lights (2004), Uri Caine on All’Alba (2003), and both Jason Moran and Bobo Stenson. He has also collaborated with Mat Maneri, Uwe Neumann and Gary Peacock.
Carrier’s tone remains incisive, and he delivers his material with energy and surprise, consistently eliciting focused engagement from listeners as he moves through rapidly shifting atmospheres.
