Prior to
Inspiration,
Sam Rivers hadn't recorded for a major label in nearly 20 years, and he hadn't cut a studio session in two decades. That doesn't mean he was inactive; he was teaching, playing, and giving concerts but never recording. Aware that many of
Rivers' big-band compositions -- not only his recent material, but some earlier works as well -- had never been given the proper treatment, saxophonist
Steve Coleman helped arrange a recording contract with BMG, with the end result being the astonishing
Inspiration album. The compositions on
Inspiration are as old as 1968's "Beatrice" and as new as 1995's "Solace" (incidentally, both of those pieces are tributes to his wife Beatrice, who also provides half of the name of the featured big band, the Rivbea All-Star Orchestra). Remarkably, all of the compositions not only sound fresh, they sound visionary -- still ahead of their time. It's not only because the stellar musicians give vibrant, unpredictable performances, although that undeniably helps;
Rivers' writing is the real key. His writing for big band is utterly original, blending big-band, bop, and avant-garde traditions together in unique, surprising ways. The dissonance never sounds irritating -- it sounds melodic -- and the complex themes are strangely inviting. Similarly,
Rivers' playing is robust, swinging between intense bursts of sound and beautiful lyricism, and sometimes combining it all at once. His 16 colleagues -- including such luminaries as
Steve Coleman,
Greg Osby,
Chico Freeman, and
Ray Anderson -- follow suit, delivering wonderfully shaded, invigorating performances.
Inspiration truly is a revelation, proving not only that
Rivers retains all his creative power at the age of 75, but that avant-garde jazz can be as inviting as any other style without sacrificing any of its depth or daring. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine