Are we giving you homework ahead of the “Sam Rivers 100” retrospective panel discussion at the History Center on Saturday, Oct. 7, and the accompanying concert by the Sam Rivers Rejuvenation Orchestra at the Social that same evening? Yeah, we are … so deal with it. And though this book has the bearing of a goddamn doorstop, it’s worth a multitude of deep dives and random-page-openings. The Sam Rivers Sessionography is a true examplar of single-minded devotion to the music you love.
Related
Orlando looks back at jazz musician Sam Rivers’ legacy
Since the late 1990s, jazz historian Rick Lopez has been fully immersed in the body of work of free jazz legend Sam Rivers, who called Orlando home in the autumn years of his life, finding a new audience, new collaborators and new home bases like the Social (then Sapphire Supper Club) and Will’s Pub in a dazzling and sustained last burst of creativity.
In a career that spanned six decades, the prolific saxophonist performed on stages around the world and took part in countless recording sessions, all of which Lopez lovingly compiles with completist zeal in this volume. Additionally, the book is packed with photographic eye candy, including a few shots by Orlando Weekly’s own Jim Leatherman. Start here in catching up with this much-missed titan, and then bob over to the Social and the History Center for even more memories brought to vivid life.
The Sam Rivers Sessionography: Attempting a Complete Historical Arc
by Rick Lopez, 768 pages
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Orlando looks back at jazz musician Sam Rivers’ legacy
This article appears in Fall Guide.