“Now you might think I’m setting you up for one of those liner-note writer’s analogies - holography is modern and fresh, as is Sam Rivers: holography is based on simple and traditional methods, as is the music of Sam Rivers; holography is mind-boggling, as is Sam Rivers. Well, you’re right, in a way, but what brings to mind that Soho museum in conjunction with Samuel Carthorne Rivers is much more obvious: you can enter that museum, lay down your money, and leave with your very own holograph of Sam Rivers working out on the soprano saxophone. You have a choice of sizes and prices (I, cheapskate that I am, bought a teeny-weeny one), but there it is - a Sam Rivers holograph for your very own.
“Okay, what’s the point? The point is: if there’s something that is advancing art, that is new and unique, it shouldn’t be surprising to find Sam Rivers somehow involved in it.
“There is no end to the facets that make up Sam Rivers and this recording of his Wind of Manhattan ensemble adds yet another new dimension to his recorded œuvres: an entire herd of smoking reeds and woodwinds.
“About the music contained herein, Sam Rivers says, ‘When I had my studio (Studio Rivbea), one of the reasons I had it was because I had all this music and I needed a place to rehearse it and perform it. I had most of this music then, and a lot of musicians played it. I’d say I wrote most of this - about 1973, or veven earlier. And some of the members of the World Saxophone Quartet - Hamiet Bluiett and Julius Hemphill - were part of the group that played that music then. I want people to know that this music has been around for some time and no one’s heard it for lack of record exposure.
“I tell Sam that the music here reminds me, at times, of a pipe organ or calliope. He says, ‘I noticed that. The closeness of the sounds of the instruments does make it sound like that. I was surprised at some of the things that happened on it - it wasn’t altogether experimental, but there were some things that I didn’t think would work when I wrote them, because of my knowledge, earlier in my career, of so-called traditional harmonies. But then I did them anyway, and they really work. A lot of the things that I was always taught weren’t correct for arranging - like the clusters with the same timbre instrument - were not supposed to happen at all. But they do, they sound very good. And there are times when these things sound like trumpets and trombones. All these things surprised me.’
“I ask Sam why there isn’t any soloing on the album, and he explains, ‘These are all very long pieces with the improvising. I wanted to get the music in rather than the improvising and that’s why I took that out. I knew that each composition would fit on an album itself. It didn’t matter to me because I know that I’ve got too much music to get it all recorded, so I can afford to be extravagant. And I did have some good soloists. I know they’re going to be quite perturbed that I took out all the solos.’
“What we are left with is high-caloric music with Sam Rivers’ typical intensity and brilliance. There are rave-ups of counterpoint; joyous, sassy honking and testifying; and bright bouquets of lushness. When you hear writing of this calibre for a reed section, only one name comes to mind and Sam Rivers acknowledges, ‘Duke Ellington is my role model.’ It is clear to see.
“About the specific music on the album, Sam Rivers only wants to point out that ‘Colours’ is a completely written piece - 136 dense bars and every one of them is notated. I’ll also add that ‘Lilacs’ is part of a 24 song suite, ‘The Flower Suite’.
“‘I consider myself to be a pretty rounded musician in all styles,’ says Sam Rivers. ‘Just not ‘free’, which is what I’m -known- for. That’s pretty much the latest part of my thing. There’s no such thing as having music without chords or harmony. Even though you say you’re playing ‘free’, if you put that stuff down, you can put the chords right with it, whether the player knows he’s doing it or not. That’s the point.’
“The point here is that Winds of Manhattan adds another dimension to an immensely talented, determinedly individualistic musician. Sam Rivers is a force in contemporary music. There ain’t no moss on Sam Rivers. And, for yet another dimension, set up your Sam Rivers holograph before you put this album on.
“The future, here we come!!” (Lee Jeske. From the liner notes.)
A1. Lilacs
A2. Colours
A3. Spiral
B1. Matrix
B2. Revival
B3. Blossoms
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