Sam Rivers
Tenor Sax Solo on
Downstairs Blues Upstairs

About

Sam Rivers's first tenor saxophone solo on "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" opens the improvisation on this driving blues from his 1964 Blue Note debut Fuchsia Swing Song. He takes ten commanding choruses of the 12-bar blues form at 218 BPM in F, building an extended statement that demonstrates his ability to sustain creative intensity across a lengthy blues improvisation. His playing combines traditional blues feeling with the angular, harmonically adventurous approach that characterizes his compositional voice. This is the first of three solos, followed by Jaki Byard on piano and Rivers's own return for a closing statement.

Sam Rivers was 40 to 41 years old at the time.