Sam Rivers Music

The Dennis review is right on! I can't add much to it. I generally do not pursue the more recent work of the "old school" giants like Sam Rivers. I focus on their early works when they were really breaking into new things. Usually later work tends to sound worn out and the chops are failing. But there is not one hint of that here. Instead it only profits from Sam's tremendous experience and unique abilities. I was not familiar with the musicians that accompany him on this recording but I would say they are each monsters on their own. The duets are tastey samples of each musician's skill and creativity. The group efforts are wonderful collaborations. It is true that their is a wide range of stylings here, but anyone that appreciates the most free work of a guy like Rivers generally never loses taste for the more traditional leanings. Nightfall is especially beautiful. This recording is just an outstanding experience that very few musicians could create. If you even know who Sam Rivers is, then add this to your collection. Sit back and experience a complete artwork by a master. It is fulfilling.

this is awful music...it reminds me of my kids recital..when EVERYONE..is testing out their instrument...at the same time...im a pretty open person...but theres no room for this..not on my shelf...if you like jazz...smooth jazz..check out Norman Brown..Albright...Streetwise...something...anything...just not this....but of course..this is just my opinion..and who really cares........

Despite the almost absent liner notes and unusual recording mix this is a must for Sam Rivers fans. A mix of old and new or unfamiliar tunes, it is well-played, abstract, in and out jazz by an all-too-little recorded and underrated master. 'Beatrice' is particularly nice.

For those of you who don't know the music of this true master (or even for those of you who do), this album is a near-masterpiece. It displays Rivers' very original style in a somewhat unusual setting. Backed by a group of unknown but brilliant European musicians, Rivers shows just how impressionistic and reflective his music really is. All the musicians are terrific, but pianist Tony Hymas and bassist Paul Rogers should be particularly credited for the date's success. Hymas' duets with Rivers on his own "Jennifer" and "Moonbeams" are gorgeous, and Rogers does duets á la Dave Holland on "Etchings" and "Zing." This is an exquisitely balanced album by one of the truly great improvisers.

On Configurations, Sam Rivers, that redoubtable New York wind player, has found his ultimate band. Tony Hymas, European iconoclast pianist, co-founder of that great fusion band The Lonely Bears, and frequent collaborator with English sax genius Tony Coe, here acquits himself with aplomb in the presence of a very high-powered band. Paul Rogers, veteran free-jazz bassist, fits in perfectly. The ringer is French drummer Jacques Thollot, a name new to me, but one who seemlessly meshes into this rarified context.

This disc holds a few surprises. For example, it starts out with Rivers' most melodic and engaging composition, "Beatrice," a gorgeous ballad that sets a very high standard for the proceedings--and probably throws off a lot of potential happy listeners. On the next cut, Configuration morphs into more typical Rivers free-expressionistic jazz with "Cheshire Hotel," a composition by the monster European free jazz guitarist, Noel Akchote. Some listeners, beguiled by the sheer beauty and melodicism of "Beatrice," might throw in the towel on "Cheshire Hotel"--an understandable but wrong-headed move.

Listen, you need to stick with Rivers, trust the man who gave you "Beatrice" as a kind of free pass, as it were, into his world of outre jazz. "Etchings," featuring Rives on flute (he is certainly one of the very best jazz flautists), will convince you. "Configuration," the title cut and center piece of this remarkable outing, features Akchote, Hymas, and Rogers at their most outre--and most engaging--at least to these ears. Starting out with some very atmospheric acoustic guitar and upper-register piano stylings, the tune changes character and shape as Rivers comes in on tenor sax. Demonstrating a most enduring and engaging sonoroty on his instrument, Rivers knocks off a brilliant yet thoroughly accessible free-jazz solo, punctuated by cutting-edge guitar stylings from Akchote and impossibly hip drumming courtesy of Thollot. Make no mistake, this is an all-out sonic assualt, although of the highest order, and the timid will likely be permanently scared off. But stick with it, and you'll be treated to one of the most amazing free-jazz improv passages featuring Akchote and Rivers (on flute!) available anwhere on jazz. If this music doesn't get to you, you must be comotose!

"Jennifer" returns to the ravishing balladic gorgeousness of "Beatrice," this time, thanks to the compositional prowess of Tony Hymas. In between this cut and the last four, which continue the balladic beauty of "Beatrice" and "Jennifer," reside three rather prickly numbers: "Zing," "Sketches," and "Rififi." For the veteran Rivers' afficionado, these will present little difficulty. But for the weekend-warrior jazzer, for whom Joe Lovano presents a real challenge, these will probably be the last straw.

So be forewarned: This is some of the greatest free-jazz available out there, but it comes wrapped in impossibly enticing balladic trappings. Those should do little to put off the hard-core free-jazz fan, but they may well sink this disc for the more conventionally oriented listener. My advice to all: stick with Rivers, through thick and thin. You will be amply rewarded.

Amazing. Truly amazing. Finnaly released on cd. Now Blue Note should release Dimentions and Exstentions.

This recent RVG by Sam Rivers - tenor & soprano saxophones, and flute, Freddie Hubbard - trumpet, Herbie Hancock - piano, Ron Carter - bass, and Joe Chambers - drums was recorded on 5/21/65. Stars edited on 1/4/07 to 3 stars.

It took me a while to warm up to this one. Not really through any fault of its own, though. After getting Fuchsia Swing Song and going crazy for it, I had incredibly high hopes for this one. The first couple listens were a bit of a let-down but I didn't give up on it. I have been rewarded nicely for my efforts. =)

Now I only have one complaint with this album... or two depending on how you look at it. Mellifluous Cacophony is my least favorite song on here, and it happens to be the only one of which an alternate take is provided. That right there is 20 minutes of music that doesn't interest me very much. I like the head of it and both of Sam's tenor solos, but from Herbie's solo onward that song just doesn't do it for me. It's too linear or something.

As for the goodies, tracks 1 through 3, I'm not altogether sure why I felt let down by this album those first couple times I listened to it. I love these 3 tracks now! This is certainly a much different band than that of Fuchsia Swing Song, though. That needs to be clearly stated. Hancock, Carter, and Chambers don't have that degree of flexible, time-smearing elasticity that the Fuchsia core trio of Jaki Byard, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams had. On that album, Jaki and Tony may as well have been sharing the same consciousness. They are locked so tight on to what each other is doing. Tony reacts marvelously to all those master-class jaunts through jazz history that Jaki takes.

This band, the Contours band, is more straight-ahead than that. Kinda. They are oftentimes more about texturizing and decorating the vamp rather than changing things up altogether... though there is some of that here, also. Hubbard swings like crazy on Point of Many Returns, and elsewhere this just may be some of my favorite weird playing I've ever heard from Herbie. Yes, I have to make special mention of that... there is some fantastic and inventive playing from Herbie! Throughout the first 3 tracks there are some times where everything slows down and the music just has this awesome floating quality as if you've just been sucked into a dream in slow-motion.

If this disc had alternates of any or all of the first 3 tracks, and if those alternates were as interesting in their own way as are the takes presented here, I'd probably be giving this more stars but it pretty much tails off for me after the end of track 3. I like the best stuff here, I just wish there were more of it.

Labels best records in print. The other review here, by Micheal B. Richman is unfair because unless he can say he has heard all of his records, how can he say it is his best. But, this is much better than the majority of the blue note's "great" but not "classic" recordings. This is a hard hitting varied and amazing cd. I was lucky enought to meet Sam and see his orchestra live. Check out his new recordings as well. Do not pass this one up for one of the more generic jazz reissues.

Hats off to the folks at Blue Note for recently reissuing two of Sam Rivers' best albums, "Fuschia Swing Song" (see my review) and this title "Contours," in its limited edition Connoisseur Series. It is particularly refreshing that these releases are resurfacing during the saxophonist's lifetime, and hopefully he will benefit from a renewed discovery of his unique brand of avant-garde jazz. On a personal note, I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Rivers in concert in Washington, DC in the late 1990s, and I was thrilled to see the musical fires burning so brightly after more than forty years on the scene. But back to the CD in question, this May 21, 1965 session features the incredible lineup of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Joe Chambers on drums. The four Rivers originals (plus an alternate take of "Mellifluous Cacophony") can hold their own against any of the material produced by Blue Note, or anywhere for that matter, in the mid 1960s. This album easily ranks in the same league as Andrew Hill's "Point of Departure" or Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil." Its fiery, passionate outbursts of modern exploration are always offset by deeply personal, revelatory moments of inner beauty. It is a breathtaking combination that will wholly satisfy fans of the "new jazz," yet it is not too far out for the average listener. For years I have enjoyed "Contours" (via the Mosaic Set), and thankfully now you can too.

Sam Rivers' second Blue Note album, CONTOURS, is an excellent quintet date which, like FUCHSIA SWING SONG before it, straddles post-bop and the avant garde with loose ideas given gorgeous shape through top-notch playing. With trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Joe Chambers providing support, it's little wonder that Rivers' four lengthy compositions all come out winners. I'm assuming that anyone reading this is at least slightly familiar with some of these musicians' work, so details are probably superfluous; all five men get plenty of time in the spotlight, however, and their ensemble playing is tight and inspired. Hancock seems to have had a particularly fine day, providing some brilliant solos (especially on "Dance of the Tripedal") and anchoring the rhythm section solidly behind Rivers' own adventurous performances on tenor and soprano saxophones and flute. Anyone fond of the classic mid-sixties BN feel will enjoy this set, and so I'm sure would a lot of other people besides. This is, quite simply, fascinating music.

This is the consummate Rivers big band recording ranging from funk to freeform.Not for the faint-hearted however.

One of the most original talents to emerge from the 1960's avant jazz scene, Sam Rivers is best known as a saxophonist of striking lyricism and power.

Originally released in 1974, CRYSTALS was Rivers' debut as a leader of large-scale ensembles, showcasing his skills as both an arranger and a composer.

CRYSTALS contains six tracks, all written and arranged by Rivers:

1/"Exultation"
2/"Tranquility"
3/"Postlude"
4/"Bursts"
5/"Orb"
6/"Earth Song"

Long before Sam Rivers' late 1990s big band albums, Inspiration and Culmination were nominated for Grammys, there was Crystals, from 1974. Although Crystals is Rivers' earliest foray into large-scale ensemble writing, it is by no means an embryonic effort.

Recorded in the halcyon days of the loft-jazz scene, Crystals is a somewhat more accessible affair than one would expect. In the experimental big band tradition of Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and Sun Ra, Sam Rivers' first big band album makes a fine contribution to this often under-sung genre.

The opening cut, "Exultation" lives up to its title. Horn lines weave around each other as River's soprano snakes through them, never flagging in intensity. "Tranquility" follows, with a funky acoustic bass and tuba ostinato leading the ensemble into a mid-tempo groove. "Postlude" is a short interlude that leads into the albums second side, starting with "Bursts," a scorching free-bop feature for River's furious tenor. The march-like collective improvisation "Orb" takes the energy level down just a notch to prepare for the climactic closer, "Earth Song".

Embracing the discordant linear quality of Muhal Abrams writing, albeit less rigid, more swinging and occasionally even funky, Rivers big band compositions are more accessible than Braxton's but further out than anything Mingus had attempted at the time. While Crystals may be the blueprint for his more recent big band albums, it is more than just a historical curiosity. Not for the faint of heart, Crystals is creative orchestral music at it's most challenging and rewarding.

After hearing this album, I'm surprised I never heard more about it beforehand. As far as I am concerned, it's a forgotten peak in avant garde jazz. To put it in a larger context, I'd bet that William Parker loves this album, as I feel like it must have been a factor in the inspiration for Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. I mean that as a compliment to both Rivers and Parker. It's not a Little Huey album, though. As much as I like it, I could never choose it over Mayor of Punkville or Raincoat in the River, Vol. 1: Ica Concert.

This may sound odd but I don't know the names of any of these tunes. I put the disc in and that's it. Track 1 has some absolutely ruthless bass playing and more of those moments that make me believe Rivers was a major inspiration for Evan Parker's soprano saxophone experiments. The context around Rivers here is much more "free jazz"-styled than the utterly weird and gorgeous free-improvisation contexts that Evan so often is in, but still.... Sam's own playing on track one is a fireball of soprano intensity that seems to point the way towards some of the places Evan's playing would later evolve. Fantastic stuff.

I won't comment on every track, as that must be annoying to readers, but I have to talk about track two. Every time I listen to this one I picture Pam Grier circa 1974 putting her shirt back on, then surprising the guy she is with by kicking his teeth in. The bassline here is just pure acoustic Blaxploitation funk at its best. Rivers is not content with staying there, though. As the song progresses, the rhythmically shifting horns tug my attention away from the bassline and a whole other mood seems to overtake the song, and then somehow you morph back into the Blaxploitation funk. I love the way my mood changes throughout the various points in this track.

If you're looking to enter the world of Sam Rivers, this and the masterpiece, Fuchsia Swing Song, are great places to start. Both completely unlike each other, but both very rewarding.

This is the consummate Rivers big band recording ranging from "out" funk to freeform. Not for the faint-hearted however.

This is definently a cd you need to be in the mood to listen to... you can't just pop it in and it will work for you.
But then there are few cds that work for any mood. This guy has some nice talent in the smooth jazz category. There are a couple hot numbers worth listening to, especially Heliopolis, Los Quatros Cuadros. But on a whole this CD just makes you feel like you are in a warm cozy coffeehouse, or sitting in your favorite recliner feeling the warmth of the fire.... once you hit the Island Dance... in my opinion, its the pinnacle song for this cd... its so smoothing.... you just lose yourself in the beat. The island dance (which bears a hint of the charlie brown theme) feels like you're on a tropical island with somebody special on a warm tropical night in the glow if a night fire.
If the feelings and sensations of the above descriptions are what you are looking for, then this cd is totally for you! If you want something with a little more kick to it, then hold onto your money for a better cd, might I reccomend Let's Face It by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones?

Another smooth jazz take off. Real inconsistent and was unable to establish the direction of this CD. It sounds as if that Sam did not know as well. I do not rate this CD as a must have, save your money.

I finally found just the right CD for my "day is done" routine. Here's what I do. When I get home from work, I pour three fingers of Jack Daniel, put Sam Cardon's Digability on the stereo, lean back on the sofa with my feet up, and just let Sam and Jack wash down the stress of the workday. I don't know what it is, but this CD has the variety of music styles and a musicianship quality that takes my mind off work and relaxingly slides me into the rest of the day. For me, it's the perfect transition music for that all-important transition hour. That's worth more than five stars in my opinion. Keep it up, Sam. Jack and I are looking forward to your next release.

I bought Sam's Digability based on the recent Jazziz Magazine sampler disc and I'm blown away. Incredible diversity and musicianship. Sam's a tastey keyboard player and a remarkable composer. Where's this guy been and is he hitting radio with his talent? I've grown tired of all the usual, predictable, rehashed smooth jazz stuff. Hey, CD 101: "Give It Up!" Get out here to the Apple, Sam. That's one ticket already sold.