Sam Rivers – Fuchsia Swing Song

This debut album from tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, formerly of the Miles Davis Quintet, was released in 1964 on Blue Note and walks the line between jazz and blues. Rivers is accompanied on this collection of his own original songs by Davis's rhythm section of Ron Carter on bass and drummer Tony Williams, with pianist Jaki Byard.

A celebration of Sam Rivers music for his 100th birthday. Masters arranged 11 tracks from Rivers classic Blue Note sessions. Features Billy Harper. Sam Rivers 100 grew out of a series of performances in late 2023 to celebrate what would have been Rivers' 100th birthday on September 25. Masters was drawn to Rivers' earlier, mid-'60s work for Blue Note Records, in particular the saxophonist's classic 1964 debut, Fuchsia Swing Song. He arranged all six of the album's tracks for Sam Rivers 100, which comprise more than half of its 11 pieces. "I've been a fan of Sam Rivers for many years," Masters says. The idea for arranging his music was born almost 20 years ago, when Masters brought Rivers, then in his early 80s, and his trio to Claremont McKenna College as part of a series produced by the American Jazz Institute. "I was intrigued by how different Sam's approach to music was at different times of his career. I was attracted to his music and was determined to do something with it eventually.

Saxophonist & flutist Sam Rivers followed-up his striking debut Fuchsia Swing Song with the tremendous album Contours, which was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs, NJ studio in 1965 with a top flight band featuring Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums. The quintet explored four of Rivers’ engaging original compositions “Point of Many Returns” “Dance of the Tripedal” “Euterpe” & “Mellifluous Cacophony” with a profound spirit of freedom and innovation while keeping a foot firmly planted in Post-Bop. Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape 180g audiophile vinyl reissues in deluxe gatefold packaging. Mastering is by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio).