Roland Kirk

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1936 - December 5, 1977) was a blind American jazz multi-instrumentalist, playing tenor saxophone, flute and other reed instruments. He was perhaps best known as for his vitality on stage, where virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting and his famous ability to play a number of saxophones and flutes at once. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x626, 51 KB)www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x626, 51 KB)www. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... This article is about the visual condition. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments. ... The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. ... â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ...

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Rahsaan simultaneously playing multiple saxophones. (audio help)

Image File history File links Rahsaan_multiplesax. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Biography

Kirk was born Ronald Theodore Kirk in Columbus, Ohio, but felt compelled by a dream to transpose two letters in his first name to make Roland. In 1970, Kirk added "Rahsaan" to his name after hearing it a dream. Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State Counties Franklin, Delaware, and Fairfield Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City  212. ... For other uses, see Dream (disambiguation). ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He went blind at an early age due to poor medical treatment.

Preferring to lead his own groups, Kirk rarely performed as a sideman, although he did record with arranger Quincy Jones, Roy Haynes and had especially notable stints with Charles Mingus. He played the lead flute and solo on Jones' Soul Bossa Nova, a song popularized in the Austin Powers films (Jones 1964; McLeod et al. 1997). This article is about the producer and songwriter. ... He is equally adept at gracefully backing a singer like Sarah Vaughan or in explosive interactions with the likes of John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Eric Dolphy, or Andrew Hill. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... Soul Bossa Nova is an instrumental, composed by and first performed by jazz composer, arranger and producer Quincy Jones. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

His playing was generally rooted in soul jazz or hard bop, but Kirk's knowledge of jazz history allowed him to draw on many elements of the music's history, from ragtime to swing and free jazz. Kirk also regularly explored classical and pop music by composers such as Smokey Robinson or Burt Bacharach as well as his beloved Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and the other classics of jazz. (The live album Bright Moments is an example of one of his shows, including all these elements and more). His main instrument was the tenor saxophone, supplemented by other saxes, and contrasted with the lighter sound of the flute. At times he would play a number of these horns at once harmonising with himself, or hold a note endlessly by using circular breathing, or play the flute through his nose. All this, plus the fact that many of instruments were exotic or even home-made gave him a reputation as a vaudeville showman but the music, even with two or three saxophones in his mouth at once was intricate, powerful jazz with a strong feeling for the blues. Soul jazz was a development of hard bop which incorporated strong blues and gospel influences in music for small groups featuring keyboards, especially the Hammond organ. ... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... Look up ragtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... William Smokey Robinson, Sr. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... This article is about the American Jazz composer and performer. ... “Coltrane” redirects here. ... Circular breathing is a special technique utilized by players of some wind instruments used to produce a continuous tone without break, accomplished by the use of the cheeks as a reservoir of air while breathing through the nose rather than the mouth. ...

Kirk was also very political, using the stage to talk on black history, civil rights and other issues, which he was always capable of tipping over into high comedy.

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Rahsaan playing black mystery pipes. (audio help)

In 1975, Kirk suffered a major stroke which led to partial paralysis of one side of his body. Despite this, he continued to perform and record, modifying his instruments himself to enable him to play with only one arm. At a live performance at Ronnie Scott's club in London he even managed to play two instruments, and carried on to tour internationally and even appear on TV. Image File history File links Rahsaan_blackmysterypipes. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “TV” redirects here. ...

He died from a second stroke in 1977 after performing at the Bluebird nightclub in Bloomington, Indiana. Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Monroe Mayor Mark Kruzan Area    - City 51. ...

Instruments and technique

Kirk played and collected a number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone and two obscure saxophones: the stritch (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's characteristic upturned bell) and the manzello (a soprano sax with an upturned bell). Kirk modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique. He typically appeared on stage with all three horns hanging around his neck, as well as a variety of other instruments, including flutes and whistles, and often kept a gong within reach. Kirk also played harmonica, english horn, recorders and was a competent trumpeter. He often had unique approaches, using a saxophone mouthpiece on a trumpet or playing nose flute. He additionally used many extramusical (musique concrète) sounds in his art, such as alarm clocks, whistles, sirens, a section of common garden hose ("the black mystery pipes") and even primitive electronic sounds (before such things became commonplace). The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left, with capped mouthpiece) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ... The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. ... This article pertains to the musical instrument. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Cor anglais The cor anglais or English horn is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes — whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... A trumpeter may be one of several things: A trumpeter is a musician who plays the trumpet. ... Girl playing the nose flute (Thomas Williams, 1858) The nose flute is a musical instrument played in Polynesia and the Pacific rim countries. ... Musique concrète (French; literally, concrete music), is a style of avant-garde music that relies on natural environmental sounds and other non-musical noises to create music. ...

Listen to this audio clip · (info)

Rahsaan simultaneously playing flute and singing, punctuated with a siren whistle. (audio help)

Kirk was also an influential flautist, employing several techniques that he developed himself. One technique was to sing or hum into the flute at the same time as playing. Another was to play the standard transverse flute at the same time as a nose flute. Image File history File links Rahsaan_flute_clip. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A flute-player demonstrates flute-playing A flautist, flutist, or flute-player is a musician who plays the flute. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... Girl playing the nose flute (Thomas Williams, 1858) The nose flute is a musical instrument played in Polynesia and the Pacific rim countries. ...

Some observers thought that Kirk's bizarre onstage appearance and simultaneous multi-instrumentalism were just gimmicks, especially when coming from a blind man, but these opinions usually vanished when Kirk actually started playing. He used the multiple horns to play true chords, essentially functioning as a one-man saxophone section. Kirk insisted that he was only trying to emulate the sounds he heard in his mind. A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments. ...

Kirk was also a major exponent and practitioner of circular breathing. Using this technique, Kirk was not only able to sustain a single note for virtually any length of time; he could also play sixteenth-note runs of almost unlimited length, and at high speeds. His circular breathing ability enabled him to record "Concerto For Saxophone" on the "Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle" LP in one continuous take of about 20 minutes' playing with no discernible "break" for inhaling. His long-time producer at Atlantic Jazz, Joel Dorn, believes he should have received credit in The Guinness Book of World Records for such feats (he was capable of playing continuously "without taking a breath" for far longer than exhibited on that LP), but this never happened. Circular breathing is a special technique utilized by players of some wind instruments used to produce a continuous tone without break, accomplished by the use of the cheeks as a reservoir of air while breathing through the nose rather than the mouth. ...

"The Case Of The 3-Sided Dream in Audio Color" was a unique album in jazz and popular music recorded annals. It was a two-LP set, with Side 4 apparently "blank," the label not indicating any content. However, once word of "the secret message" got around among Rahsaan's fans, one would find that about 12 minutes into Side 4 appeared the first of two telephone answering machine messages recorded by Kirk, the second following soon thereafter (but separated by more blank grooves). The surprise impact of these segments appearing on "blank" Side 4 was lost, of course, on the CD reissue of this album. These spoken-word segments reflected the tenor of the times, so to speak, with the rather pessimistic theme that humanity had "blown" its chance to live in a world of peace and harmony. But this was entirely in keeping with the fact that, despite his loss at an early age of his visual acuity, Rahsaan was very much on top of societal developments, racial and economic injustice and disparity. (Indeed, he had participated many years previously in protests against the failure of TV show hosts like Merv Griffin to hire any non-white musicians.) He gleaned information on what was happening in the world via audio media like radio and the sounds coming from TV sets. His later recordings often incorporated his spoken commentaries on current events, including Richard M. Nixon's involvement in Watergate. The "3-Sided Dream" album was a "concept album," somewhat akin to the Beatles' "psychedelic" phase in the incorporation of "found" or environmental sounds and tape loops, tapes being played backwards, etc. Snippets of Billie Holiday singing are also heard briefly. The album even confronts the rise of influence of computers in society, as Rahsaan threatens to pull the plug on the machine trying to tell him what to do. Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... The Watergate scandal was a 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at a Watergate Office Building in Washington, D.C. by members of Richard Nixons administration and the resulting cover-up which led to the resignation of the President. ...

Legacy and influence

Kirk's technique of humming while playing the flute was adopted later by many other players, including Jeremy Steig, Thijs van Leer, and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, (who covered the Kirk tune "Serenade to a Cuckoo" on Jethro Tull's first album This Was in 1968). Jeremy Steig, the son of The New Yorker cartoonist William Steig, is notable as one of the few jazz flutists playing flute exclusively, as opposed to doubling from other woodwinds (others are James Newton, and, for most of his career, Herbie Mann). ... Thijs Van Leer (born in march 1948 at Amsterdam) is a dutch musician and singer. ... This article is about the lead singer of Jethro Tull. ... Jethro Tull are a Grammy Award winning English rock band that formed in 1967-1968[1]. Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. ... This Was (1968) is the first album by the rock band Jethro Tull. ...

In 1978 the number one UK single "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads featured saxophonist Davey Payne playing a solo with two saxes simultaneously, in the manner of Kirk. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick is a song and single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads, first released November 23, 1978 and was first released on the 7 single BUY 38 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick / There Aint Half Been Some Clever Bastards by Stiff Records. ... Ian Dury (May 12, 1942 - March 27, 2000) was a rock and roll singer, songwriter, and bandleader. ... David Davey Payne (born 11 August 1944, in Willesden, North West London) is an English saxophonist best known as a member of Ian Durys backing band The Blockheads, and his twin saxophone solo on their 1978 UK #1 single Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick. He also appeared on...

Dana Colley of Morphine and Twinemen occasionally plays "double sax". Examples are "Super Sex" and "Radar" on the Morphine album Yes and "Wishing Well" on Like Swimming. Morphine was an alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, in 1989. ... Twinemen is the Cambridge, MA band created out of the remains of the also Cambridge, MA band, Morphine. ... Opening with the monstrous riffs of Honey White (the albums first single) the album takes Morphines trademark low rock sound to new places. ... Like Swimming is a 1997 album by the band Morphine. ...

British reed player Dick Heckstall-Smith also emulated Kirk in playing multiple saxophones simultaneously.

Jeff Coffin, solo artist and member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, plays multiple saxophones simultaneously.

Courtney Pine, a saxophonist from the UK, also uses circular breathing and plays two saxophones at once in live performance.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk is the namesake of jazz artists Roland and Rahsaan Barber, brothers who play trombone and saxophone respectively.

Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Radiohead, acknowledged his respect and love for Kirk's music on the band's blog.

Trombonist Steve Turre was strongly influenced by Kirk's music (and by his use of a conch shell as a second instrument). Steve Turre (born September 12, 1948 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an internationally renowned trombonist, recording artist, arranger, and educator. ...

Selected discography

King Records

• 1956 - Triple Threat

Argo/Cadet/Chess Records

• 1960 - Introducing Roland Kirk

Mercury Records

• 1961 - We Free Kings - w Richard Wyands on piano
• 1962 - Domino
• 1963 - Reeds & Deeds
• 1963 - Kirk in Copenhagen
• 1964 - Roland Kirk Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra
• 1964 - I Talk with the Spirits - album of Kirk playing the flute
• 1964 - Gifts and Messages

Limelight Records We Free Kings is a 1961 LP by jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk. ... Richard Wyands(born July 2, 1928 in Oakland, California) is a jazz pianist best known as a side-man. ... Domino is an album by Roland Kirk recorded and released in 1962. ...

• 1965 - Slightly Latin
• 1965 - Rip, Rig and Panic - fast bop with Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and drummer Elvin Jones

Verve Records Jaki Byard (June 15, 1922 - February 11, 1999) was a jazz piano player. ... Richard Davis (born April 15, 1930) is an American double bass player who has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1977, after establishing himself for twenty-three years in New York City. ... Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was a jazz drummer. ...

• 1967 - Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith

Atlantic Records

• 1965 - Here Comes the Whistleman - Live - including all Kirk's banter between tracks
• 1967 - The Inflated Tear
• 1968 - Left and Right
• 1968 - Volunteered Slavery - a meltdown of pop tunes, hard bop, African chanting
• 1970 - Rahsaan Rahsaan
• 1971 - Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata - mostly Kirk alone, on many instruments.
• 1971 - Blacknuss
• 1972 - Brotherman In The Fatherland - live at the Funkhaus in Hamburg, Germany
• 1972 - A Meeting of the Times w ex-Duke Ellington singer Al Hibbler
• 1973 - Bright Moments - live at Keystone Corner, San Francisco
• 1973 - Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle
• 1973 - The Art of Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• 1975 - The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color - w Richard Tee, Steve Gadd and Hugh McCracken
• 1976 - Other Folks' Music

Warner Bros. Records The Inflated Tear is an album by Roland Kirk released in 1968. ... Volunteered Slavery is a jazz album by Roland Kirk, recorded in 1968. ... Blacknuss is a 1971 album by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. ... This article is about the American Jazz composer and performer. ... Albert George Hibbler (August 16, 1915-April 24, 2001) was a singer. ... Richard Tee (born Richard Ten Ryk in Brooklyn, November 24, 1943, died July 21, 1993) was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger. ... Steve Gadd (born April 9, 1945 in Rochester, New York) is a very well known session drummer, mainly known for work with Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Joe Cocker, Stuff, Bob James, Chick Corea, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Eddie Gomez, The Manhattan Transfer, Michal Urbaniak, Steps Ahead, Al Di...

• 1975 - The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man
• 1976 - Kirkatron - Warner Brothers Records
• 1977 - Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real

Posthumous Releases of New Material

• I, Eye, Aye: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1972 - Rhino
• The Man Who Cried Fire - Night
• Dog Years in the Fourth Ring - 32 Jazz
• Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom - Hyena
• Brotherman in the Fatherland - Recorded "Live" in Germany 1972 - Hyena

Compilations

• Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk
• Does Your House Have Lions: The Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology
• Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve - compilation of his last three albums.

External links

• the Rahsaan Roland Kirk website
• NY daily news Stopping the white wash - Rahsaan Roland Kirk on TV
• Roland Kirk Discography (Jazz Discography Project)
• Sound?? film of Kirk with John Cage at UbuWeb.

For the Mortal Kombat character, see Johnny Cage. ... UbuWeb is an internet museum that showcases all strains of the avant-garde including poetry, music, film, sound art, ethnopoetics, and outsider arts. ...

Bibliography

• Jones, Quincy (Composer). (1964). Big band bossa nova [Phonograph]. Mercury. (Reissued on compact disc by Verve in 1998, 2005).
• Kruth, John: Bright Moments. The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Welcome Rain Publishers, New York 2000 ISBN 1-56649-105-3
• McLeod, Eric (Producer), & Roach, Jay (Director). (1997). Austin Powers: International man of mystery [DVD]. New Line Home Video.