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themacintrasher
07-23-2008, 06:26 AM
I just got into Sam Rivers the other day. Hes a really amazing player. Been listening to Fuishia Swing Song.
Rahspeak
07-23-2008, 07:02 AM
El Reno, Oklahoma represent!!! One of the guys I want to see play most in the world, but the last two times I've been in Orlando (where Sam is currently based) he wasn't playing. A master at the coveted "In AND Out" thing...he's a Giant, no way around it.
Sam
07-23-2008, 12:04 PM
TheMac --

You'll probably want to spend some time with Dave Holland's classic record, "Conference of the Birds." Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton make gorgeous work of Holland's compositions. (I once got to play "Four Winds" at a very cool wedding reception!)

There are also two very hard-to-find Rivers/Holland duo LPs from the 70s on Paul Bley's "Improvising Artists" label. If you enjoy hearing two people explore for extended periods -- like, 20-minute pieces -- they are very much worth the time and effort to find.

And of course there's always the 1964 "Miles Davis In Japan." Rivers sounds great . . . he was bringing the Second Great Quintet where they would wind up, but he was about two years too early . . .

Happy listening!
Brian
07-23-2008, 02:21 PM
El Reno, Oklahoma represent!!! One of the guys I want to see play most in the world, but the last two times I've been in Orlando (where Sam is currently based) he wasn't playing. A master at the coveted "In AND Out" thing...he's a Giant, no way around it.

Sam Rivers was supposed to do a concert here in Gainesville a couple weeks ago ... but the performance was canceled. Something about hip trouble. He is not a young guy .... but he loves to play.
john/madrid
07-23-2008, 04:49 PM
Don't miss his work on Bobby Hutcherson's "Dialogue". I heard him in London a few years ago - a great musician.
hakukani
07-23-2008, 06:34 PM
Sam Rivers was supposed to do a concert here in Gainesville a couple weeks ago ... but the performance was canceled. Something about hip trouble. He is not a young guy .... but he loves to play.

I believe he's over 80.

Yeah, Macintrasher, I love Fuschia Swing Song. My favorite cut is 'Cyclic Episodes'.
Pete Thomas
07-23-2008, 06:50 PM
One of the greats
Rahspeak
07-23-2008, 07:01 PM
also "Contours", with Freddie, Herbie, Ron and Joe Chambers, shows off Sam's tenor, soprano and flute chops, and Larry Young's "Into Somethin" with Larry Young on organ, Grant Green and Elvin Jones, shows Sam's greezier side.
Kritavi
07-23-2008, 07:02 PM
I've had the good fortune to see Sam many times. Maybe most memorably on a bill with Braxton solo opening, after the trio set Braxton joined Sam, Dave Holland, Barry Altschul and did much of Conference.
Another time I saw Sam play with trio around midnight at an all night jazz concert in Boston in the 70's. About 6AM Sam walked back in looking refreshed and humbly asked Ricky Ford if he could sit in with his group. He did which woke the place up in a hurry. A great great player on tenor, sop, flute, piano.
baylistenor
07-23-2008, 07:39 PM
I saw Sam Rivers here in Manchester in the late 70s w Dave Holland and Steve Ellington - Sam played the horns and piano too!
ps Is Fuschia Swing Song loosely based on Night and Day or am I Bonkers?
tigerplayer
07-24-2008, 12:02 AM
Sam is still pretty young...only 85.
Swingtone
07-24-2008, 01:31 AM
He played an SML tenor for the bulk of his career before switching to a Keilwerth fairly recently, like in the 90s (still recent to me!). ;)

He also played what looked to be the same hard rubber mouthpiece for a LONG time. It seemed to be reinforced at the shank with a metal ring. Anyone know what his setup was?
Tim Price
07-24-2008, 07:05 AM
He played an SML tenor for the bulk of his career before switching to a Keilwerth fairly recently, like in the 90s (still recent to me!). ;)

He also played what looked to be the same hard rubber mouthpiece for a LONG time. It seemed to be reinforced at the shank with a metal ring. Anyone know what his setup was?


Swing....that piece was a Bill Street mouthpiece. At the time Street was in Boston. I asume Street and Rivers are about same era etc. The piece wasa rubber Bill Street tenor mth. Street lives in Gorham Maine in case you get the urge. ( good guy too, his son is Ben Street the bassist!! )

There you have it.

Btw- SAM RIVERS IS WHAT IT IS!!!!!!!!:D
warp x
07-24-2008, 07:19 AM
Let's not forget the stuff with Miles. Is that Live in Japan?
Tim Price
07-24-2008, 07:32 AM
Let's not forget the stuff with Miles. Is that Live in Japan?

Miles in Tokyo...good choice!!!!:;)

warp- how about that band with Doug Mathews and Anthony Cole. Cool stuff.
Lately I've been checkin out, Sam Rivers:Crystals

FWIW- My friend composer/trumpeter Brian Groder had a great C
D out with Sam; and the Sam Rivers Trio. http://cdbaby.com/cd/groder2




PS-WARP- you live in my fav' city8-)
warp x
07-24-2008, 10:07 AM
Ah yes Miles in Tokyo, that's it. I just love the Sam solo on 'Walkin'.

Hey Tim - Yup, Amsterdam is a cool place, lots of GREAT music going on here!
Swingtone
07-24-2008, 02:08 PM
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Swing....that piece was a Bill Street mouthpiece. At the time Street was in Boston. I asume Street and Rivers are about same era etc. The piece wasa rubber Bill Street tenor mth. Street lives in Gorham Maine in case you get the urge. ( good guy too, his son is Ben Street the bassist!! )

There you have it.

Btw- SAM RIVERS IS WHAT IT IS!!!!!!!!:D

Thanks for the info. I may get the urge, but I just got a new Lebayle LR II tenor piece, and it's the smoothest piece I've ever blown on tenor. And man, can you get some volume on these. I can see why Branford and Wayne dig these piece! Mine's an 8 and it's the easiest blowing 8 tip I've ever tried. They're very cool looking to boot....