| Violet Violets | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Sam Rivers, Ben Street, and Kresten Osgood |
| Cover: | Rivers_Street_Osgood_Violet_Violets.jpg |
| Released: | 2005 |
| Recorded: | October 14 and 15, 2004 |
| Studio: | Kampo Studios, New York |
| Genre: | Free jazz |
| Length: | 43:47 |
| Label: | Stunt Records STUCD 05112 |
| Producer: | Kresten Osgood |
| Chronology: | Sam Rivers |
| Prev Title: | Purple Violets |
| Prev Year: | 2005 |
| Next Title: | Aurora |
| Next Year: | 2005 |
Violet Violets is an album by saxophonist and flutist Sam Rivers, double bassist Ben Street, and drummer Kresten Osgood. It was recorded on October 14 and 15, 2004, at Kampo Studios in New York, and was released in 2005 by Stunt Records, a Danish label.[1] [2] [3] [4]
The album Purple Violets (Stunt, 2005) was recorded at the same session, with the same personnel plus vibraphonist Bryan Carrott.[5]
In a review for AllMusic, Ken Dryden wrote: "the trio explores its adventurous music, an aggressive form of post-bop intertwined with avant-garde twists at times. The octogenarian Rivers is still a potent force... The musicians obviously enjoyed their studio collaboration, so future projects will be of considerable interest."
Annika Westman of All About Jazz stated that Rivers' "remarkable tone is in a class of its own, just like the deep musical content of his playing. The fact that he has spent a lifetime developing it is not the only reason he sounds this great. Not everyone performs on such a high level at the age of 82, but in Sam Rivers' case, there has definitely been no decline with age... truly the opposite."
The Sydney Morning Heralds John Shand commented: "Sam Rivers is now 82. Think about that for a moment while I tell you how energetically he plays and how sumptuous he sounds here. The band is a trio... a spacious setting in which to hear all the nuances of the veteran's artistry."[6]