Rabble Without A Cause
Wednesday January 12th, 2011 with Bernard Stepien
Sam Rivers, from Miles Davis to Free Jazz

Of the many styles of Free Jazz, Sam Rivers has always belonged to a separate category. His association with the great Miles Davis could have led him in the opposite direction. However, in the '60s, the draw of freedom was stronger. His main contribution was to channel the exhuberance of Free Jazz improvisation in a more ordered framework with more composition and arrangements. This sense of organisation has landed Sam Rivers in many prestigious projects. in the '70s he practically moved his operation in Europe, namely Chateauvallon in France, started to teach in several universities and be recorded by major labels. Tonight we will sample two sets of recordings that illustrate this evolution: first a 1967 recording on the bluenote label and second a the out of print and never re-issued tuba trio that highlights Sam River's continuous search for contrasts, here the flute vs the tuba, two diameteraly opposed musical instruments both by their size and their musical range.