In the autumn of 1964 tenor saxophonist Sam
Rivers spent two months on tour with the Miles Davis quintet.
This was the group that, with the addition of Wayne Shorter,
would become known as Davis’ “Second Great Quintet.”
Miles found the young tenor man to be too “out there”
for his group, influenced as he was by avant-gardists such
as Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, and Archie
Shepp. Yet Rivers successfully mixed these influences with
more traditional ones. His expansive tenor sound is reminiscent
of blues and R&B players like Arnett Cobb or Albert Ammons,
while his melodic and rhythmic conception indicate the influence
of Sonny Rollins.
Fuchia Swing Song was recorded in December of 1964,
and it features two-thirds of the Davis rhythms section: bassist
Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, both of whom provide
a modern, aggressive, yet sumptuously swinging base for Rivers
to work off of. Pianist Jaki Byard, who began working with
Charles Mingus in 1962, offers not only the chordal framework
from which Rivers works, but also distinguishes himself by
playing a variety of styles with equal aplomb as well as offering
some deft solo work of his own.
Fuchia Swing Song is Rivers’ debut Blue Note
recording, and it is a confident and sharp debut. All the
pieces here are Rivers compositions, with the most well-known
being “Beatrice,” dedicated to his wife. Other
musicians have recorded the piece, but there has never been
a better, more sensitive reading than here, and the solo work
of Byard and Carter furthers the lyricism of the piece beautifully.
Other standouts include the title track, a 32-bar structure
that features the propulsive cross-accents of Tony Williams,
helping Rivers build an intense, turbulent swirl of notes
that eases back into a rollicking swing formation, as well
as “Luminous Monolith,” which employs traditional
chord changes but manages to sound modal.
Byard and Rivers are perfect for each other, as both are
in complete command of their instruments and are aware of
the traditions that other musicians have paved on them, but
at the same time can propel those traditional sounds into
the future. In addition, both possess loads of technique but
never use or display it as an end in itself. Add to this the
potent mix of Ron Carter and Tony Williams and you’ve
got an album that sounds as modern, complex, beautiful, and
hard-hitting as it did in 1964. The reissue of this CD should
go a long way towards restoring interest in Rivers, which
would be an excellent thing.
