Sam Rivers talks pretty much like he plays. Ideas come fast and furious as the words tumble forth, and you get the sense that he's improvising a good deal of the presentation. Such was the case as the 85-year-old, Orlando-based avant-garde jazz icon gingerly took the stage Friday night at Gusman Concert Hall on the University of Miami campus and joined the Frost Concert Jazz Band in a raucous set of his big-band compositions. A bit winded, Rivers explained that he had recently fractured a hip and, while in the hospital, developed pneumonia which necessitates his use of a breathing tube, although the apparatus did not appear on stage. Nor did his condition, which seemed to improve as the performance wore on, keep him from issuing a torrent of humorous anecdotes, reminding one and all that his career not only encompassed stints with the greatest jazz figures of his time in both the avant and mainstream realms, but that he also shared stages with the likes of T-Bone Walker, B.B. King and even Jimi Hendrix (too bad no tapes exist of that matchup). Although he soloed infrequently, what he played was richly toned and masterful — especially on the soprano sax — if less forceful than in his heyday.
Under the direction of trombonist and educator Dante Luciani, the young musicians — all male — of the Concert Jazz Band were more than up to the task of playing Rivers' challenging charts. The maestro, who bopped, shimmied and mugged from his perch atop a wooden stool, truly seemed to enjoy hearing them interpreting and improvising on his music. Warming the stage for their guest, the band swung hard on a few numbers, joyously digging in on a handclapping, pew-shaking read of Don Rader's "Hallelujah Time." Best of all was a gorgeous version of Kenny Werner's "Compensation," which made use of a muted tonal palette that recalled the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band, for which it was written.
Living up to his rep as a spontaneous showman, Rivers had no intention of merely following the concert's printed program. In fact, the first tune he played, an absolutely stunning tenor-sax ballad, was one he had just written and it didn't even have a title yet. Apparently, he was able to run through it with the rhythm section, and pianist Dan Strange, guitarist Sam Petitti, bassist Josh Allen and drummer Danny Susnjar provided inspired support. The next piece, "Duke," an exuberant homage to Ellington, involved the full band and included ample room for solos, and was also nowhere to be found on the program, which proved pretty much useless as Rivers roamed where the muse took him.
A funky, sinewy piece titled "Vines" was inspired, said the saxophonist, by his amazement at how vines can grow on brick and concrete walls, and "Neptune," which he introduced with a humorous tale of keeping track of the planets now that Pluto has been downgraded, boasted a galactic vibe reminiscent of the space-travelin' Sun Ra. Of course, he had to play "Beatrice," the lovely composition he penned for his wife, who passed away three years ago. Rivers acknowledged that out of the many, many pieces he'd written over the decades, this was the only one that really made him any dough, as the lyrical melody has become something of a standard.
Rivers is truly one of the great figures of modern jazz. The Frost School is to be commended for honoring his legacy and giving its fine student musicians the opportunity to work with this one-of-a-kind artist.
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