Sam Rivers RIP

[CJ Shearn]

For me his creativity and originality are what jazz is and should be. Reminds me of a comment Robert Glasper made that jazz should always include whats going on now to stay relevant as great as things in the past are, but Sam's music, and I need to hear the post BN stuff, a tune like "Cyclic Episode", "Euterpe", "Effusive Melange" still are very fresh and hip in my view, "Extensions and Dimensions", is an album that I think helped contribute to the sound of the European avant garde. I can hear the roots of Brotzmann's approach and things like that in this music.

[colinmce]

I wonder if the orchestra will carry on without him? Though his mark is indelible on the music, RivBeaO seems like it would also work very well playing his charts with guest soloists (Sabir Mateen? Billy Harper? Sam Newsome?) A great body of work that deserves to be played and heard still.

[bichos]

sad news!

how old was he really? i have two different sources in books that he was born in el reno, okla. on 25.09.1930. so he was 81 and not 88.

keep boppin´

marcel

[clifford_thornton]

1923 is correct.

I would certainly assume Rivers' playing crossed over to European musicians in the '60s, but Dimensions & Extensions didn't see release until the later 1970s (as part of that twofer), by which point the sound of people like Brotzmann, Dudek, Wanders, etc. had been established.

[mikeweil]

Oh no ............

[LWayne]

Indeed Sam Rivers was a special guy and an unpretentious one to boot. Several years ago, in 2003, I had the privilege of catching him play live along with Jason Moran and the Bandwagon at Spivey Hall at Clayton College outside of Atlanta. Together they performed songs from the album “Black Stars”. It was a great concert.

After the show, Sam was kind enough to sign an autograph for me. We had a brief conversation and he revealed that he had driven from Orlando to Atlanta that day just for the show, and that he was intending to drive back again later that night after greeting the audience. Imagine that; at age 80, he drove both ways to Atlanta just to perform one show with Jason Moran.

A couple of years later, in November 2005, I was on a business trip in Orlando, Florida. After dinner, I advised one of my business guests that I was going to pay a pilgrimage to Will’s Pub in Orlando to hear Sam Rivers rehearse his Rivbea Orchestra. My friend and I were both impressed by the band and that a legend would be practicing with his band and bantering with the audience in such humble surroundings.

Truly one of a kind! I will miss his kindness, his humility, and his grace.

LWayne

[paul secor]

Heard/saw him play one night with Dave Holland and Barry Altschul at Studio Rivbea - a wonderful evening.

Sam Rivers was one of those musicians who kept searching until the end of his life. Bless him for that.

[marcello]

It's a testament to Sam that so many of us considered him a friend, even if our encounters were casual. I was a regular at Rivbea when I was 18-19, and it was like being a guest in Sam & Bea's home, which it was indeed. Sam was always warm and cordial, and had total integrity as an artist. I had the opportunity to chat with him about the Rivbea days at Iridium a few years back, and I was thrilled to see his reunion at Columbia with Holland and Altschul. I'm on the verge of tears, and only recently the death of Joe Lee Wilson, who I knew under similar circumstances, hit me just as hard. But Sam had an amazingly long and artistically successful career, and we're all richer for it.

This is for you, Pete:

Besides seeing him here several times ( I took this on the 4th of July, 1976) a particularly remember a concert by Sam, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul at a college that was a truly amazing. A vortex of sound and spirit, with Sam going from one instrument to another for at least a hour.

[Pete C]

Thanks, Tom. I think that was still the basement space. The last time I was at Rivbea (Sunny Murray quartet with David Murray) they had moved operations to the first floor.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Pete C

[MomsMobley]

A GIANT! And one whose life, career and artistic legacy shames that of many many lesser lights we're supposed to mourn. And to think a sept- then octogenarian-- did it without resorting to jive "tribute" albums! That Sam could kill on "A New Conception" AND "Into Somethin'" AND do all the other tremendous things he did from solo to trio to big bang is staggering. Only his near-contemporary Jaki Byard approaches that range and Jaki had a harder time of it after the 1960s.

adopted hometown Orlando Sentinel obit (where I saw the big band 5-6 times (had to leave early once))--

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/os-sam-rivers-dead-122711-20111227,0,7009901.story

unless even a little flute is too much, Sam's disocgraphy is damn near flawless-- only sides I can think of being even slightly lesser is that Reggie Workman on Postcards (which I recall sounded like crap-- is that correct?-- a shame because you can't say enough great things about Reggie otherwise) and the Jason Moran tho' Sam does sure ELEVATE the proceedings. The Miles sides are OK but no better-- dudes were "beyond" each other in unsympathetic ways though props to Anthony for trying.

Everybody's seen this right, Holland (before he was boring)/Barker/Rivers--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J83DsYQJ_D0

Edited December 28, 2011 by MomsMobley

[jeffcrom]

Indeed Sam Rivers was a special guy and an unpretentious one to boot. Several years ago, in 2003, I had the privilege of catching him play live along with Jason Moran and the Bandwagon at Spivey Hall at Clayton College outside of Atlanta. Together they performed songs from the album “Black Stars”. It was a great concert.

After the show, Sam was kind enough to sign an autograph for me. We had a brief conversation and he revealed that he had driven from Orlando to Atlanta that day just for the show, and that he was intending to drive back again later that night after greeting the audience. Imagine that; at age 80, he drove both ways to Atlanta just to perform one show with Jason Moran.

LWayne

That was a great show.

[Rooster_Ties]

One of the giants.

For well over 15 years, "Beatrice" has been one of my two* all-time favorite jazz tunes (and one I'll always request at the drop of a hat). Even had it played at my wedding (reception) in 2001, especially since it was named for his wife of 56(!) years.

Got to hear Sam but once, his trio -- in Topeka, KS of all places, in 2008 -- and shook his hand, and he graciously autographed my copy of "Fuchsia Swing Song".

Never dreamed I'd get to hear Andrew Hill, Grachan Moncur, and Sam Rivers - but somehow I heard all three (Grachan just a couple weeks ago).

Sam's contribution to music, and to life, was nothing short of amazing. RIP.

*the other being Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus".

[7/4]

Ted Pankin: Sam Rivers, (1923-2011) (r.i.p.) — A Downbeat Article From 1999 and Interviews

[Spontooneous]

A man who definitely walked the walk, for more years than anyone ever had a right to expect. He's part of my definition of greatness.

[MomsMobley]

good look on Panken, 7/4. And lest anyone doubt how truly-- extremely-- hip Sam was artistically AND historically, note this--

TP: Was your father born in Cincinnati?

SR: No, he was born in Boston. After I got out of the Service during the Forties… When I entered the Navy, I was one of the first who didn’t go in as a musician or a steward. Robert Smalls and I went in as regular Navy men. We had a choice of whatever field we wanted to go into, Bosuns, Mates… I chose music when I went in, but the band they wanted to put me in wasn’t good. I’m very young and arrogant, so I said, “No, I’ll learn something else.” So I went in as Quartermaster, correcting charts and steering the ship and all that, but I never went on board ship. I knew I wasn’t going on board if I took something like that. I was transferred to Vallejo, California, which was my musical experience. It was very good I didn’t go into the band, because the band had to play in the officers quarters every night. I wasn’t in the band, so I could take my horn and go out into the city and play. Vallejo is near San Francisco. That’s where I met Jimmy Witherspoon. One of my first professional gigs was with Jimmy Witherspoon while I was in the Navy. We were playing at this club someplace in Vallejo where he was everything. He was the Master of Ceremonies, he was the maitre’d, he was the comedian and he was the singer, and I was part of the group. That’s pretty much the playing I did when I was in the Navy.

***

I wouldn't expect foreign readers to know Robert Smalls but how many Americans reading this do? Sam DID. And I don't even "blame" Americans so much as the goddamn system that raised them-- and later consigned Robert Smalls to obscurity.

Ted Pankin: Sam Rivers, (1923-2011) (r.i.p.) — A Downbeat Article From 1999 and Interviews

Edited December 28, 2011 by MomsMobley

[brownie]

Obituary in The New York Times today.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

phnenoumia is bad. it is when you get a cold and it mutates from viral to bacterial. he could of just like got cold last week like we all do this time of year. everybody stay away from sick people as much as possible, and when dining out, always ask for an extra glass of water and dunk your hands into the water before you pick up your sandwich. the bus is the worst, you have to do it, and people are sneezing and coughing everywhere, with nothing you can do. RIP Sam Rivers again and everybody stay healthy.

[DTMX]

Indeed Sam Rivers was a special guy and an unpretentious one to boot. Several years ago, in 2003, I had the privilege of catching him play live along with Jason Moran and the Bandwagon at Spivey Hall at Clayton College outside of Atlanta. Together they performed songs from the album “Black Stars”. It was a great concert.

After the show, Sam was kind enough to sign an autograph for me. We had a brief conversation and he revealed that he had driven from Orlando to Atlanta that day just for the show, and that he was intending to drive back again later that night after greeting the audience. Imagine that; at age 80, he drove both ways to Atlanta just to perform one show with Jason Moran.

LWayne

That was a great show.

Yes, it was a great show. And I remember Sam coming out to collect his instruments after the show and he had a look on his face like "I thought we were going play more - where'd the band go?" (answer - to the meet & greet after the show).

Saw his trio at a church at Chandler Park in Atlanta. Obviously a very cool church - Derek Bailey played there once as well.

[Pete C]

phnenoumia is bad.

Too bad Sam didn't have the benefit of your astute medical advice. Who knows, he might have lived well into his nineties...

[djcavanagh]

Very sad news. I saw him in London a few years ago and his enthusiasm is infectious. He certainly seemed to have led a very fulfilling life.

The Brownie picture is fantastic.

[Shawn]

Very sad news. I had the pleasure of seeing Sam perform in Texas several years ago, a great memory.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

In a Wax Poetics interview Rivers stated he once did sessions for a song-poem company (you know, "send us your lyrics and we'll make it into a hit song!") in Boston, but the interviewer didn't follow up. Some deluded people could have had a genuine jazz rarity in their hands.

More Infor on song-poems and the bizness.

[Pete C]

In a Wax Poetics interview Rivers stated he once did sessions for a song-poem company (you know, "send us your lyrics and we'll make it into a hit song!") in Boston, but the interviewer didn't follow up. Some deluded people could have had a genuine jazz rarity in their hands.

More Infor on song-poems and the bizness.

One of Ellery Eskelin's parents wrote music for those things.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

wait, what is this? theyll put anyones lyrics to music, and send you a copy? or anyone mails in their lyrics and if they like it they select you? i dont understand

[JSngry]

http://easydreamer.blogspot.com/2011/12/american-song-poems.html

Edited December 28, 2011 by JSngry