The music world has never seen anyone like Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The blind multi-instrumentalist could play three horns at once through his amazing circular breathing technique. He was a master of every woodwind instrument, and used unusual instruments like the manzello, the strich (a straight Eb alto saxophone to which he added a French horn bell. He also played the more conventional tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute. There was never any music on the bandstand. Yet Kirk, who usually played in a quartet, could sound like a mini-orchestra just himself, creating his own dialogues between two horns, playing the head on two horns simultaneously, and then switching to a third for his solo. Occasionally, he would sing too.
Kirk also had a sound world unlike any other, bringing in car honks, train whistles, police sirens, and chirping birds. Yes, you need to see a video to believe it. The music alone isn’t enough to get the full scope of his unmatched talents. The other aspect, less talked about, and fully evident in these two recordings: Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate and Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse, is Kirk’s mastery of the Black music forms. His jazz included blues, gospel, R&B, and funk. In addition, he had a command of the jazz canon from Ellington to Mingus to Bird and Trane. He was fearless, moving seamlessly from hard bop, post-bop to blues, and to the avant-garde.
Both packages include notes by Kirk’s biographer, John Kruth, and recollections from musicians such as bassist Steve Novosel, James Carter, Steve Ture, Chico Freeman, and more.
Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate
This unearthed recording is from his pre-Rahsaan days in 1963, when he was known as Roland Kirk. At this time, he was playing all of the instruments listed above, developing his one-of-a-kind reputation. He is accompanied by a rhythm section of bassist Henry Grimes, drummer Sonny Brown, and three rotating pianists on a mix of originals and standards. They are Horace Parlan (like Kirk, a veteran of Mingus’ groups), Melvin Rhyne (Wes Montgomery), and a young New Yorker, Jane Getz. At the time, a filmmaker was working on a documentary about Kirk. The unknown filmmaker passed away, and the documentary was never made, but the audio tapes survived, now brought to life by Zev Feldman and his team at Resonance.
The set opens with a fifteen-minute-plus post-bop burner, a rendition of Kirk’s theme song, “Jump,” here titled “Jump Up and Down Fast,” that sounds like a full-orchestra rhythm section, with multiple horns played simultaneously. “Ecclusiastics” is an original gospel-blues. Kirk plays mostly the tenor, as well as delivering vocals. Kirk’s Delight,” a mid-tempo ballad, has Kirk growing more exploratory as the piece evolves, primarily the tenor, but some call-and-response phrases where he alternates between instruments. There are some “yeahs” and other shouts from band members, pushing him ever forward. “Oboe Blues” features the eponymous instrument, seldom used in jazz, as Kirk creates an array of unique harmonics by alternating it with others in his arsenal. “Blues Minor at the Gate” has the audience stomping and clapping along as Kirk turns the blues on its head. His other original, the closer, “Three for the Festival,” is one that often closed his sets, a workout on flute, breathy style. You can bet that Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull modeled his own playing by listening to Kirk. The set also includes three standards – “All the Things You Are,” “Laura,” and “Falling in Love with Love.” There is palpable energy throughout that Kirk brings to everything he plays, even in the tender moments, sending vibrations through the club and, as the title suggests, into the streets.
Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse
This 1967 date presents fully mature, ever-daring Rahasann accompanied by his longtime collaborator, pianist Rahn Burton, and frequent collaborators, bassist Steve Novosel and drummer Jimmy Hopps. Their chemistry with the ever-quirky Kirk stands out compared to the previous recording, recorded four years prior. Nonetheless, Novosel says this, “The whole time I was with Roland, it was a trip because you never knew what was going to happen…I learned all the songs on the bandstand, just playing for the first time…It was different every night, and I just reacted to it.” This is the ‘ragged glory’ kind of jazz, played loosely and at times roughly, through a mix of hard bop roof-raisers, pop tunes (Ode to Billie Joe, Alfie), and a fierce brand of soul jazz. Every so often, you’ll hear bizarre banter and hints of political rants, but fear not, those are kept to a minimum and are low in the mix. Keep in mind that Kirk was a disciple of Mingus. That same attitude prevails here.
Listen to Kirk’s vocal on the medley “Everytime We Say Goodbye” as he breaks into Ellington’s “I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good.” He stretches “Ode to Billie Joe” over 12 minutes, a tune covered at the time by King Curtis and others. Arguably, Kirk instills just as much, maybe even a bit more, into the tune than King Curtis, playing the same hard-edged tenor. Kirk’s muscular flute playing on “Funk Underneath” rivals that of “Three for the Festival” on the Village Gate session. Burton is clearly the ‘second star” of this session. His playing on the Kirk original ballad, “Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful,” finds a striking balance between tender and animated. There’s joy in Kirk’s improvised blues vocals in the closing, “Making Love After Hours,” a fitting conclusion to an exuberant set.
If these are your introduction to Rahaan Roland Kirk, or you are an ardent fan, these previously unheard sets are a worthy addition to your collection.
One Response
Bright Moments indeed!