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Sam Rivers Quartet: Undulation
by John Eyles
Undulation is the fifth volume of the NoBusiness label's impressive Sam Rivers Archive Project, following the trio on Emanation and the quintet on Zenith, both issued in 2019, the trio outing Ricochet and the quartet on Braids, both 2020. All volumes comprise previously unreleased live recordings, the first four dating from Boston 1971, Berlin 1977, San Francisco 1978, and Hamburg 1979. Undulations takes us into the '80s, having been recorded at an unknown venue in Florence on May 17th 1981; ...
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by John Sharpe
With the fourth issue in its Sam Rivers archival series, the NoBusiness imprint has unearthed a cracking concert recording of a terrific quartet, completed by bassist Dave Holland, drummer Thurman Barker and tubaist Joe Daley. Very few can match Rivers' breadth of experience, which includes not only with leading lights of the 1960s New Thing like Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler and Bill Dixon, but also stylistic antecedents like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie (the last during the late ...
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by Mario Calvitti
Nonostante sia stato indiscutibilmente uno dei massimi esponenti della musica afroamericana, il polistrumentista Sam Rivers non ha mai pienamente beneficiato del riconoscimento dovutogli per gli enormi meriti artistici; non quando era in vita, e non ancora oggi, a dieci anni dalla scomparsa. La sua discografia da leader è cominciata molto tardi, quando Rivers era già quarantenne, con una serie di titoli pubblicati su Blue Note negli anni '60, e proseguita con alcune incisioni per la Impulse! nel decennio ...
read moreSam Rivers Trio: Ricochet
by Glenn Astarita
Other than new product framed on forward-leaning jazz and improvisational artists, this record label annually resurrects gems from the vaults, evidenced on this adrenaline- fueled recording of the late great saxophonist Sam Rivers and his superstar trio. This follows the label's release of Zenith (No Business, 2019) which is Rivers' quintet caught live at a Berlin venue in 1977. The saxophonist and his trio are captured at San Francisco's legendary Keystone Korner club. Hence, they shoot for the ...
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by Vincenzo Roggero
Probabilmente è questa l'unica data che vede all'opera questo quintetto e sicuramente è questa l'unica registrazione conosciuta. Siamo durante il tour europeo datato ottobre-novembre 1977 nel quale Sam Rivers tiene concerti a capo della Rivbea Orchestra, o suonando in quartetto, in trio, in duo e per l'appunto in quintetto, in sostanza il quartetto stabile dell'epoca con l'aggiunta di un secondo percussionista. Scelta perlomeno curiosa quella operata da Rivers, perchè Charlie Persip era noto più per l'appartenenza ai gruppi di Dizzy ...
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by John Sharpe
Concertgoers must have been forced back in their seats by the intensity of Sam Rivers opening foray at the 1977 Berlin Jazztage Festival. After an annunciatory tenor saxophone burst, he goes for the jugular with fierce vocalized overblowing atop a churning four piece rhythm section. But if that sounds forbidding, then like the audience, listeners to this historic recording, released as the second installment of NoBusiness Records' estimable Sam Rivers Archive Project, following Emanation (2019), should be enthralled by the ...
read moreSam Rivers: Emanation
by John Sharpe
This unissued 1971 live date from the Jazz Workshop in Boston is the first in a projected eight volume series sourced from the personal archive of the multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers, who died in 2011. It captures Rivers with his trio of the period, completed by bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Norman Connors, over two freewheeling sets. Rivers was one of the most significant voices in the 1960s avant-garde. He recorded classic albums for Blue Note, was a founder member of ...
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