Fuchsia Swing Song

Fuchsia Swing Song is the debut album by American saxophonist Sam Rivers recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label.^[2] The album was reissued on CD in 1995, and again in 2003 as part of the "Connoisseur Series" (limited edition series) including four alternate takes as bonus tracks.

Fuchsia Swing Song
Studio album by Sam Rivers
Released	Early April 1965[1]
Recorded	December 11, 1964
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	39:00 original LP 69:24 CD reissue
Label	Blue Note BST 84184
Producer	Alfred Lion
Sam Rivers chronology
Fuchsia Swing Song (1965) Contours (1965)
Alternative cover
1995 Japanese CD (TOCJ-4184)

Reception

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "By the time of his debut, Rivers had been deep under the influence of Coltrane and [Ornette] Coleman, but wasn't willing to give up the blues just yet. Hence the sound on Fuchsia Swing Song is one of an artist who is at once very self-assured, and in transition... This is a highly recommended date. Rivers never played quite like this again".^[3]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Down Beat	[4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[6]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[7]
Tom Hull – on the Web	A[8]

Track listing

All compositions by Sam Rivers.

1. "Fuchsia Swing Song" – 6:03
2. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" – 5:33
3. "Cyclic Episode" – 6:57
4. "Luminous Monolith" – 6:31
5. "Beatrice" – 6:13
6. "Ellipsis" – 7:43

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

7. "Luminous Monolith" [Alternate Take] – 6:39
8. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" [First Alternate Take] – 8:09
9. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" [Second Alternate Take] – 7:47
10. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" [Third Alternate Take] – 7:49

Personnel

• Sam Rivers – tenor saxophone
• Jaki Byard – piano
• Ron Carter – bass
• Tony Williams – drums