NoBusiness Records launched its Sam Rivers Archive Series with Emanation (NBCD 118), a previously unreleased performance by the Sam Rivers trio and has has now released four further titles in the series. Produced with the full cooperation of the late composer-improviser’s daughter, Monique Rivers Williams, and the Sam Rivers Estate, it is anticipated that the series will consist of eight CDs of music selected from Rivers’ enormous personal archive, to be released over the next four years.
Much of the series will consist of music from a CD wallet that Williams calls, “my father’s heart.” The wallet contained sessions that Rivers was considering for release and he kept it with him up to his last days. Other releases come from Rivers’ vast archive of literally hundreds of sessions preserved on reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, CDRs, and a range of obsolete digital sound media formats. They covered Sam Rivers’ career from the early 1970s up to the year he died. “It was too tempting to resist a dive into the whole archive in search of other possible treasures,” says archive series coordinator Ed Hazell. “In fact, Monique opened up to us the entire contents of Sam’s remarkable collection of recordings, posters, documents, scores, magazine articles, concert programs, and photographs. This lifetime accumulation of materials is enough to fill in excess of 50 storage containers. We are thrilled and honored to be able to present this important music from one of the most creative spirits in the history of improvised music.
Sam Rivers, tenor saxophone, flute, piano
Jerry Byrd, guitar
Rael-Wesley Grant, electric bass guitar
Steve Ellington, drums
