Sam Rivers – Contrasts (1980/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Sam Rivers – Contrasts (1980/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 43:34 minutes | 860 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

Dave Holland always described Sam Rivers’ groups as his finishing school. It was Sam who instructed him to play “all the music” – inside, outside, atonal, swing, blues, and all the hues of the jazz and chamber music traditions. By the time of Contrasts, Rivers and Holland had been working together consistently for seven years (with Dave’s Conference of the Birds at the start of the story), a powerhouse combination of multi-reeds and double bass. Of the drummers who passed through the line-up, Thurman Barker was one of the most creative, rippling across drum kit and marimba. Young trombone innovator George Lewis had already worked with Holland and Barker in Anthony Braxton groups. For Contrasts everyone was fired up and ready to play.

Tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers (also heard on soprano and flute) teams up in a quartet with trombonist George Lewis, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Thurman Barker (doubling on marimba) for a date that certainly defies the stereotype of a typical ECM session. The seven Rivers originals, although sometimes having colorful melodies, are quite complex. However, the intriguing and very alert interplay between the brilliant musicians makes the music seem fairly logical and worth exploring by adventurous listeners. ~~AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:
01. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Circles (04:17)
02. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Zip (04:44)
03. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Solace (06:57)
04. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Verve (07:12)
05. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Dazzle (09:16)
06. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Images (03:54)
07. Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Dave Holland, Thurman Barker – Lines (07:11)

Personnel:
Sam Rivers, soprano and tenor saxophones, flute
George Lewis, trombone
Dave Holland, bass
Thurman Barker, drums, marimba

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