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everything SAM RIVERS - whacha got?? - and talk about 'em all!


Rooster_Ties

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but he rarely gets mentioned as a pianist.

Wasn't even aware of his proficiency on the piano until I saw him a couple of times with his UK big band, which did feature a 'piano interlude'. Really like both his piano and soprano work but at the end of the day the preference has to be for his tenor - big sounding but snake like in its agility and not sounding remotely like anyone else. Got to chat with him whilst he was dismantling his multitude of instruments and stands and to talk briefly about the Blue Note days, his Mosaic box and working with Andrew Hill in the 60s. Very approachable - a great guy. :tup

Edited by sidewinder
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Does anyone know why the Sam Rivers/Dave Holland/Barry Altschul trio of the 1970s broke up?

I remember reading at the time in one of the jazz magazines that "something" had happened between Rivers and Altschul which forced an immediate breakup. It was hinted that the "something" was so dramatic and terrible that there was no way for the group to continue, or for Altschul and Rivers to ever work together again.

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Does anyone know why the Sam Rivers/Dave Holland/Barry Altschul trio of the 1970s broke up?

I remember reading at the time in one of the jazz magazines that "something" had happened between Rivers and Altschul which forced an immediate breakup. It was hinted that the "something" was so dramatic and terrible that there was no way for the group to continue, or for Altschul and Rivers to ever work together again.

No idea, but they did re-unite last year (from the site I linked on the first page):

07.05.25 • Sam Rivers Trio [Audience Recording]

May 25, 2007 / 8:00pm, Miller Theatre, Columbia University, New York City

1st Set:

Preceded by WKCR-FM staff introduction [3:42] and Sam Rivers Introduction, with plenty of applause. [4:29]

improvisation [50:40]

Sam Rivers' announcement [1:23]

2nd Set:

Preceded by Sam Rivers Introduction, with even more applause. [2:47]

improvisation [34:05]

Followed by much applause plus announcements and thank yous by Sam's daughter Monique Williams Rivers. [3:39]

"The Culmination of the WKCR Sam Rivers Festival was the reunion of Sam's 1970's trio....Highly anticipated, and definitely worth the wait......Sam's extended family were there, as well as his musical family....Cecil, Henry Grimes, Joe Daley, and enough of NYC's Jazz players to have a whole Festival. None of the reports I've heard of Sam's health were in evidence, at 83 years old he still delivers the goods for almost 90 minutes of music, and a great deal of time joking with the audience, switching off between multiple instruments, and just generally enjoying the company of his old friends." --comments posted at dimeadozen.com torrents site.

Sam Rivers (ts, ss, fl, p, voice)

Dave Holland (bass)

Barry Altshul (drums)

Posted late evening on May 31st: A memoir of the trip my son and I made to New York City for this concert on May 25th, 2007.

{Primary Source: 2CD-R; I was there!}

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  • 8 years later...

I deeply love Sam Rivers' music - he has been one of my musical heroes since I was a teenager. I saw/heard him three times that I'm sure about - in duo with Dave Holland back in the late 1970s, his "Florida trio" about ten years ago, and with Jason Moran. He drove up to Atlanta from Orlando to do the Moran concert.

I'd like to mention the Impulse album Hues, which has concert excerpts by three different trios. The 1973 Norwegian concert with Arild Andersen and Barry Altschul has been reissued in full on CD (Trio Live), but there are 17 minutes by the Cecil McBee/Norman Connors trio from the Jazz Workshop in Boston, 1971, that have not been reissued. More importantly (to me), there are six minutes of a 1972 Michigan college concert with what (based on this six minutes) might be my favorite Rivers Trio, with Richard Davis and Warren Smith. I'd love to hear that entire concert.

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4 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

I'd like to mention the Impulse album Hues, which has concert excerpts by three different trios. The 1973 Norwegian concert with Arild Andersen and Barry Altschul has been reissued in full on CD (Trio Live), but there are 17 minutes by the Cecil McBee/Norman Connors trio from the Jazz Workshop in Boston, 1971, that have not been reissued. More importantly (to me), there are six minutes of a 1972 Michigan college concert with what (based on this six minutes) might be my favorite Rivers Trio, with Richard Davis and Warren Smith. I'd love to hear that entire concert.

Agreed ....

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