Sam Rivers: Fuchsia Swing Song (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) LP

Blue Note, 1965

A saxophonist of striking originality, Sam Rivers was born in Oklahoma and exposed to music from an early age by his pianist mother and gospel singer father. Rivers moved to Boston to study at the Boston Conservatory and eventually met, and began performing with, the drummer Tony Williams who was barely a teenager at the time. Williams would open several doors for Rivers including recommending him for what would be a short stint in the Miles Davis Quintet, but also bringing Rivers to the attention of Blue Note’s Alfred Lion. Williams featured Rivers on his Blue Note debut Life Time in 1964, which led to Rivers’ appearance on organist Larry Young’s album Into Somethin’ before the saxophonist was offered his own recording deal with Blue Note. A month later Rivers was in Rudy Van Gelder’s studio recording his astonishing debut album Fuchsia Swing Song with an extraordinary quartet featuring Williams, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Jaki Byard. Although a strong avant-garde undercurrent flowed through his music, Rivers kept a foot planted firmly in post-bop and the blues on this impressive set of his originals including the fleet-footed title track, the hard-charging “Downstairs Blues Upstairs,” and the stunning ballad “Beatrice” which remains Rivers’ most beloved composition.