Sam Rivers / Dave Holland

When Sam Rivers met up with bassist Dave Holland for a set of duets, he decided to record two LPs and play a different instrument on each of the sidelong pieces. While Rivers performs on tenor and soprano during the first volume, the second recording finds him playing "Ripples" on flute and switching to piano for "Deluge"; both performances are over 23 minutes long. Since tenor is easily Rivers's strongest ax, this set (which has now been reissued on CD) is of somewhat limited interest yet is generally successful. The flute piece has several different sections that keep both the musicians and listeners interested, while Rivers's piano feature is quite intense; he leaves few notes unplayed. Still, the first volume should be acquired.