Sam Rivers – Contours (Tone Poet)

Contours, recorded May 21, 1965 and released in 1967 on Blue Note, is Sam Rivers’s second album as leader and a powerful example of his evolving post-bop/avant-garde voice. Rivers leads a stellar quintet featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Joe Chambers (drums). The album’s five original compositions explore angular melodies, shifting rhythmic foundations, and a balance between structured form and improvisatory freedom. Rivers alternates between tenor, soprano saxophone, and flute, giving the session variety in tone and texture while challenging conventions of harmony and space. The sophisticated interplay among the musicians keeps the music tethered even at its most exploratory.

On “Point of Many Returns,” Rivers and Hubbard engage in rapid-fire exchanges over a driving rhythm, while “Dance of the Tripedal” unfolds in ¾ meter with surprising shifts and intensity. The extended “Euterpe” spotlights Rivers’s flute in a contemplative atmosphere that gradually expands into more fluid improvisation. The title track, “Mellifluous Cacophony,” and its alternate take push into freer terrain, incorporating collective interplay and expressive tension. Over time, Contours has grown in stature as a landmark recording: it demonstrates how Rivers could bridge tradition and innovation, and remains essential within the Blue Note catalog and mid-’60s jazz experimentation. 

"Sam Rivers fully embraced the avant-garde, but presented his music in a way that wouldn't be upsetting or confusing to hard bop loyalists" – AllMusic

“None of Rivers’ Blue Note releases combined these elements more successfully than ‘65’s Contours.” – All About Jazz