 A
major figure of contemporary American music who spent his boyhood in North
Little Rock, saxophone, flute and piano man Sam Rivers has worked with legends,
from Billie Holliday and Miles Davis to Wilson Pickett, B.B King, Maxine
Brown, and T-Bone Walker. He and his wife, Beatrice, founded Studio Rivbea,
a prominent performance space in Manhattan. In the 1960s, Rivers recorded
four LPs for the Blue Note label, led the Harlem Ensemble, and was composer
in residence for the Harlem Opera Co. In the 1970s, he led various ensembles
and was artist in residence at Dartmouth University and Cornish College.
In the 1980s, Rivers joined the Dizzy Gillespie quintet and the United Nations
Orchestra. He moved to Florida, forming the Rivbea Orchestra as well as
a trio, where he continues to play in the area’s numerous venues.
The trio includes drummer Anthony Cole and bassist Doug Matthews.
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