A tremendous lost performance from the great
Sam Rivers – working here with an ultra-hip trio that features
Cecil McBee on bass and
Norman Connors on drums! The style is in that free, longform improvisation mode that
Rivers hit as the 70s began – often quite spiritual in nature, even when fierce – with the leader handling some really great tenor, plus soprano sax, flute, and even a bit of piano!
Norman Connors will come as quite a surprise to those who only know him from his soul-based work later on in the 70s – as he plays with a hell of a lot of power, and really drives
Rivers on with his boundless energy on the drum kit.
McBee is fantastic, as always – often more understated than most might be in his position, but always hitting the right spirit for the moment. If you're a
Sam Rivers fan, there's plenty to love here – and the set's a completely essential additional to his catalog. The set features one long improvisation, recorded at the Jazz Workshop in Boston in 1971.