Comments on: Pan-tones

By: SUMMER RE-UP: Pan-tones

SUMMER RE-UP: Pan-tones — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:56:26 +0000

[...] posted 24 September [...]

By: tubas

tubas — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:53:39 +0000

Glad I found this site, Iâ??ve been searching for something like this for awhile now.

By: ledrew

ledrew — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:55:28 +0000

Ach! Of course. Taking book hat off, putting dunce hat (that says “jazz” on it) on. Thanks for the fix, boxwalla.

By: boxwalla

boxwalla — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:55:11 +0000

The percussionist on “Mauve” was the great Warren Smith, of course, not Wilbur Smith.

By: Marco Bertoli

Marco Bertoli — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:52:51 +0000

The second half of the ’70 saw Rivers all over Europe all the time; he enjoyed a great following in Italy, drawing huge crowds, something unthinkable of today! Then in the very early ’80 he disappeared to reappear only recently (but I was astonished to see him in the sax section of a not very distinguished Dizzy Gillespie band, around 1987).

I vividly remember seeing him playing an Italian Communist Party festival, early in 1978 , with Holland, Thurman Barker on drums and Joe Daley on tuba – not sure about this last, I was just a kid. I have rarely witnessed such raw power and magnetism. His records were easily available then and I still have some from those years, including one of IAIs with Holland.

Going down memory lane to those years: any news of trombonist Joseph Bowie and drummer Charles Bobo Shaw (Human Arts Ensemble)?

By: Jon Turney

Jon Turney — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:39:01 +0000

Inspired me to dig out my vinyl – a timely reminder as the big band, and the man himself, were astonishing when they played in London last year. Rivers must be the hippest octagenarian on the planet.

By: godoggo

godoggo — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:10:51 +0000

Hey, I have a request for somebody who’d be good to blog. How ’bout Joe Farrell?

By: ledrew

ledrew — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 21:49:50 +0000

Thanks for the comments, all.

Brian, agree with you about Streams. Don’t think I hear stridency in Crystals, but I’m due for another listen. As for the Holland duos, I’m only aware of them by reputation. Can easily imagine the beauty therein, though.

By: Brian Olewnick

Brian Olewnick — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:35:00 +0000

While I think “Streams” is one of the great under-recognized albums from the 70s and enjoy most of Rivers’ work from that period, I’ve never, ever understood the apparently huge appeal of “Crystals”. ‘Strident’ is the term that most often surfaces. When it came out on disc a few years ago and was the recipient of a new round of hosannas, I dusted off my LP for a re-listen and, no dice, still felt the same. My loss, perhaps.

Unmentioned above are the two gorgeous duo albums he did in ’76 with Dave Holland for Paul Bley’s IAI label.

By: peter breslin

peter breslin — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 01:11:13 +0000

Hey– great stuff, thanks. I wonder if Rivers falls between the cracks in some ways and that contributes to his not being better known. On the one hand, his concept seems highly abstract and “airy,” intellectual and intricate, structural and angular. But his work always strikes me as also highly lyrical, oddly. So he’s not full bore “classical” nor “romantic” and maybe this makes it harder for listeners to stay close.

Saw him last year at The Outpost in Albuquerque, a stunning show.

peter

By: Irena

Irena — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 23:29:50 +0000

wow this is really wonderful stuff. pretty varied, too. seems like rivers was really on a roll in the 70s.

i’ve always wanted to check out some of his big band records from the past decade or so. anyone out there have any recommendations?

thanx again.