Fuchsia Swing Song

Artist: Sam Rivers
Label: EMI
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Limited Edition
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 4988006781948
ASIN: B000053SQ5

Release Date: 2000-10-25

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Avant Garde & Free Jazz

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Listmania:

A Brief History of the Tenor Sax
Sam Rivers - Uncompromised Music
Recordings of Sam River's Classic Song "Beatrice"
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Amazing Contemporary Jazz Stuff

Tracks:

Fuchsia Swing Song
Downstairs Blues Upstairs
Cyclic Episode
Luminous Monolith
Beatrice
Ellipsis

Customer Reviews:

Sublime!.......2006-12-01

What an outstanding CD this is! I have always admired Sam; I once had the pleasure of seeing him live with Doug Matthews and Anthony Cole.
They made such joyous music together. This rhythm section is without compare. Jaki Byard will be added to my list of all time great piano players. He has a style all his own. Tony Williams and Ron Carter are indisputably the best... the work they did with Miles will attest to that.
And Sam himself... this is a CLINIC in how to play Jazz tenor! A killer quartet... such style and panache! Run to buy this CD. You won't be disappointed.

Impressive Debut, Fine Introduction.......2002-11-01

FUCHSIA SWING SONG was Sam Rivers' debut as a leader, and is unique not only in terms of its accessibility but also in its fabulous lineup of musicians. Joining Rivers - who plays tenor saxophone exclusively on this set - are the brilliantly eclectic pianist Jaki Byard (best known for his stunning work in various contexts with Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy in the early sixties) and the justly legendary bass/drums team of Ron Carter and Tony Williams, who at the time of this recording were regularly gracing a variety of Blue Note sessions in addition to their steady gig with Miles Davis. FUCHSIA SWING SONG is, to my knowledge, the only date by this particular quartet, and a fine blend it is. As sole composer and primary soloist, Rivers is very much the dominant force herein, but typically he leaves plenty of space for his sidemen to contribute their own statements - listen, for example, to Carter's swooning and atmospheric bass solo in the middle of "Cyclic Episode," or Byard's constant prompting/doubling of the leader throughout "Luminous Monolith." For his part, Rivers maintains a remarkably balanced presence, skipping in and out of the mainstream so nimbly that you'll find yourself grooving just as easily to his sudden atonal bursts as to his lilting balladry on "Beatrice." The spare and rather similar nature of most of the album's melodies adds greatly to this cohesiveness; indeed, there are times when it almost feels like a suite. The well-defined personalities of the artist and his associates give this unique session its own personality, one which neither Rivers nor Blue Note would ever quite replicate anywhere else. I should add that this edition of the CD, though pricey and difficult to obtain, is a vast improvement over the original mid-90s Japanese release, on which the piano sounded as if it had been recorded from half a mile away. The LP-style packaging is likewise a welcome change, as FUCHSIA SWING SONG also boasts one of Blue Note's coolest covers. Definitely check it out.

Worth the price for "Beatrice" alone..........2001-11-01

It's difficult to understand why Sam Rivers' debut on Blue Note hasn't been reissued domestically as of yet; one would think the recent spate of Rudy Van Gelder series releases would have resolved this. Anyway, having Fuchsia Swing Song as part of the Mosaic Sam Rivers collection, I can attest to the value of this import. This is, as other reviewers have noted, the most "inside", hard bop-oriented of Rivers' available work, but regardless it contains a typically adventurous, bracing Blue Note session, with the ballad "Beatrice" standing out as among the most beautiful compositions not to enter the wider jazz repertoire (though Joe Henderson did record an equally stunning version of Rivers' tune on his excellent State of Tenor, also on Blue Note). Sam Rivers graced many brilliant Blue Note albums, most notably Bobby Hutcherson's "Dialogue" (also scandalously unavailable) and Tony Williams' "Lifetime"; "Fuchsia Swing Song" is worth it at any price.

An Unknown Masterwork.......2001-05-18

This is a major album that has fallen through the cracks, a masterpiece no one's ever heard of. If you ever liked Dave Holland's "Conference of the Birds" or Tony Williams' "Spring," you simply must get this record. It's pretty "inside" for Rivers, but it's super-melodic and lovely, while swinging like mad. An incredible record, well worth the price!

Absolutely Amazing!.......2001-01-22

This is an absolute stunner! Anyone who thinks that Sam Rivers is strictly part of the "avant garde" and unaccessible needs to hear this album. Fuscia Swing Song was Sam's Blue Note debut and it is rooted firmly in hard bop. Rivers' playing is like no other - he achieves incredible tones and pitches as he weaves his lines around the tonal centers rather than the chord progressions. The result is a highly charged, hard bob session with some of the most intense tenor playing that you'll ever hear.

It's a shame that this is only available in the pricey, Japanese import version, however the 24-bit remastering results in an excellent overall sound quality. GO AHEAD AND BUY IT.. IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY! This is a classic that belongs in every serious jazz collection. It will leave you speachless!

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