He actually played tenor in the Miles Davis Quintet between saxophonists George Coleman and Wayne Shorter, on one recording Live in Tokyo. A fantastic foreshadowing of the Wayne Shorter version of the Quintet.
Sam also released some killer free funk big band music in recent years, in the same vein as his 1974 album Crystals on Impulse.
1965's Contours is quite simply one of the best avant garde free bop albums of 60's, an album that just filled with creative ideas that still manage to appeal to the hard bop fan.
I really enjoy these 60's free bop albums from Blue Note. Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Cecil Taylor and Eric Dolphy created some of the best chamber jazz you will ever hear.
I realize Blue Note is best known for the hard bop sound, but this type of accessible, "but challenging" music like Contours is well worth exploring.
