Crystals

A masterpiece of large-ensemble free jazz, 'Crystals' showcases Sam Rivers's unique ability to arrange for a massive orchestra while maintaining the spontaneous energy of the avant-garde. The music is dense, powerful, and often dissonant, using the full force of the big band to create overwhelming sonic textures. It stands as a key document of the 1970s movement to apply the language of free jazz to a large-scale, orchestral context, and it remains one of Rivers's most ambitious and powerful statements.