François Houle

by Joslyn Layne
François Houle is a creative and extremely active clarinetist, composer, and improviser of avant-garde jazz and modern classical music. A Vancouver native, Houle has been an active developer of contemporary Canadian music during the '90s through his participation in Standing Wave and the Vancouver New Music Ensemble, among others. He has developed a personalized improvisational language, getting all manner of sounds from his instrument and its individual parts. Houle has performed with many extraordinary musicians, from Wayne Horvitz to Evan Parker, collaborated with composers including Paul Dolden, and released several albums on Canada's Songlines and Red Toucan labels. He is also involved in a trio, including guitarist Scott Fields and bassist Jason Roebke, which recorded Hornet's Collage (1999) for the Nuscope label. Cryptology followed in early 2001, with a collaboration with pianist Benoit Delbecq close behind the next year. In addition to his lively music career, Houle created graphic score settings of Catriona Strang's poems that were published by ECW Press and various North American poetry magazines.