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Fuchsia Swing Song
Studio album by Sam Rivers
Released	Early April 1965
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)

Fuchsia Swing Song is the debut album by American saxophonist Sam Rivers recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label. 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.

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 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".

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
Tom Hull – on the Web	A

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" – 6:39
8. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" – 8:09
9. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" – 7:47
10. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" – 7:49

Personnel

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

References

1. Billboard Apr 3, 1965
2. Blue Note Records discography accessed November 22, 2010
3. ^ Jurek, T. Allmusic Review accessed November 22, 2010
4. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Oxford University Press. p. 1968.
5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1217. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
6. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 168. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
7. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Sam Rivers". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved October 22, 2023.

• Blue Note Records albums
• Sam Rivers (jazz musician) albums
• 1965 debut albums
• Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio
• Albums produced by Alfred Lion