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Roland Kirk

Real Name:
Ronald Theodore Kirk
Profile:
Born August 7, 1935 in Columbus, Ohio.
Died December 5, 1977 of a stroke in Bloomington, Indiana.

He was best known for being a blind jazz saxophonist who could play more than one wind instrument at once. The idea of playing more than one saxophone at the same time occurred to him in a dream and he set out to make it a reality. Around 1970 he added Rahsaan due to a dream. He is also noted for his circular breathing technic and was reportedly able to sustain a note for over an hour.
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Variations:
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Discography

Releases:
Three For Dizzy Pt. 1 / Three For Dizzy Pt. 2 (7")   Prestige 1961
Domino (Album) (3 versions)   Mercury ... 1962
We Free Kings (3 versions)   Mercury ... 1962
Gifts & Messages (LP)   Mercury 1964
I Talk With The Spirits (2 versions)   Limelight ... 1964
Kirk's Work (Album) (5 versions)   Prestige ... 1966
Once In A While / Mystical Dream (7", Single)   Limelight 1966
Slightly Latin (2 versions)   Limelight ... 1966
Here Comes The Whistleman (LP)   Atlantic 1967
Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith (LP)   Verve 1967
The Inflated Tear (Album) (4 versions)   Atlantic ... 1968
Left & Right (Album) (3 versions)   Atlantic 1969
Volunteered Slavery (Album) (4 versions)   Atlantic ... 1969
Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata (LP, Album)   Atlantic 1971
Blacknuss (LP)   Atlantic 1972
Bright Moments (2xLP)   Atlantic 1973
Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle (LP)   Atlantic 1973
Return Of The 5000 lb. Man (LP)   Warner Bros. Records 1975
The Case Of The 3 Sided Dream In Audio Color (Album) (2 versions)   Atlantic ... 1975
Other Folks Music (LP, Album)   Atlantic 1976
Boogie-Woogie String Along For Real (LP)   Warner Bros. Records 1978
Pre-Rahsaan (2 versions)   Prestige ... 1978
Rip, Rig & Panic / Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith (CD, Comp, RM)   EmArcy 1990
Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle (CD, Album)   Collectables 2002
Introducing Roland Kirk (CD, Album)   Chess Records  
Appears On:
Walk On By / My World Is Caving In (7", Single) My World Is Caving In Mercury 1961
Big Band Bossa Nova (Album) (5 versions)   Mercury ... 1962
Oh Yeah (Album) (6 versions)   Atlantic ... 1962
I/We Had A Ball (2 versions) I Had A Ball, I Had A ... Limelight ... 1964
Quincy Jones Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini (Album) (2 versions)   Mercury ... 1964
Rip, Rig & Panic (Album) (3 versions) No Tonic Pres, From Be... Limelight ... 1965
Tonight At Noon (3 versions) Invisible Lady, 'Old' ... Atlantic 1965
This Was (Album) (7 versions) Serenade To A Cuckoo Island Records ... 1968
Walking In Space (Album) (5 versions)   A&M Records ... 1969
Rahsaan Rahsaan (Album) (2 versions)   Atlantic 1970
Newport In New York '72 - The Jam Sessions, Vols 3 And 4 (Album) (2 versions) So What Cobblestone ... 1972
Boillat Thérace Quintet (LP, Album)   PMP 1974
Mingus At Carnegie Hall (LP, Album)   Atlantic 1974
Mingus At Carnegie Hall (LP, Album)   Atlantic 1974
The Art Of Charles Mingus - The Atlantic Years (2xLP)   Atlantic 1974
The Bass (Box + 3xLP) Long Wharf Impulse! 1974
Mini Jazz Klub 2 (7", EP) Dobrovolní Nevolníci... Panton 1976
Black Magic Night (Album) (3 versions) Spirits Up Above Bronze Records (2) 1977
Passions Of A Man: An Anthology Of His Atlantic Recordings (3xLP, Comp)   Atlantic 1979
Strike Up The Band (CD, Comp)   Verve Records 1987
Serious Fun (CD, Album) Inflated Tear DIW Records 1989
69th Sin Funny (2 versions) Black And Crazy Blues Fundamental 1990
Funk Of Ages (LP, Album) Volunteered Slavery/Be... Gramavision 1990
Anything Goes: The Cole Porter Songbook - Instrumentals (CD) Get Out Of Town, Get O... Verve Records 1992
The Fire This Time (CD, Album) Three For The Festival In+Out Records 1992
Virtual Reality (Total Escapism) (CD, Album) Handful Of Fives Gazell (2) 1992
Xenogenesis 2000 (CD, Album) A Handful Of Fives CAC/Xenogenesis 1992
Thirteen Pictures - The Charles Mingus Anthology (2xCD + Box) Ecclusiastics Rhino Entertainment Company 1993
Walking In Space (CD, Album, RE)   Rebound Records (2) 1995
A Night Out With Verve (4xCD, Comp + Box) Someone To Watch Over Me Verve Records 1996
Five (CD, Album) The Inflated Tear Soul Note 1996
In The Light Of Day (CD, Album) Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Prophone Records 1996
Out Of The Afternoon (CD, Album, RE)   Impulse! 1996
Songs For Wandering Souls (CD, Album)   Winter & Winter 1999
The Reel (CD, Comp) Soul Bossa Nova Hip-O Records 1999
Beefeaters + Meet You There (CD, RM) Serenade To A Cuckoo Sonet Universal Danmark 2000
Reclaiming The Dead (Album) (2 versions) Lockdown MCA Records 2000
The Verve Album (2xCD, Comp) Killer Joe Verve Records 2000
Quincy Jones Talkin' Verve (CD, Comp) Comin' Home, Baby, Sou... Verve Records 2001
Soul Bossa Nova / Comin' Home Baby (7") Soul Bossa Nova Seven Up Records 2001
Soul Bossa Nova (LP) Echoes Of Primitive Oh... Warner Music UK Ltd. 2002
Enter The Mowo! (CD, Album) Shamma Lamma Ding Dong Hyena Records 2004
Tease! The Beat Of Burlesque (CD, Comp) You Did It, You Did It Verve Records 2005
Brotherman In The Fatherland (CD, Album) Seasons / Serenade To... Hyena Records 2006
Cool Jazz (CD, Comp, RM) Snap Crackle Verve Records, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2006
Return Visit! (LP)   Universal Music (Japan) 2006
Superdrummers! (CD, Comp, RM) Fly Me To The Moon Verve Records, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2006
Swinging The Big Band (CD, Comp, RM) Bossa Nova U.S.A., Bab... Verve Records, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2006
The Greatest Jazz Hits (CD, Comp, RM) Pink Panther Theme Verve Records, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2006
The House That Trane Built: The Story Of Impulse Records (4xCD, Comp) Snap Crackle Impulse! 2006
Breaks Capture (7") Electric Noise Trad Vibe 2007
Cinco De Mowo! (CD, Album) Reykavik, Siss Boom Bah! Mowo! Inc. 2007
Sampled! (CD, Comp, RM) Soul Bossa Nova Boutique, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2008
Nihon (CD, Album + DVD) Woobou/Volunteer Slavery RareNoise Records 2009
Out Of The Afternoon (LP, Album, RE)   Jasmine Records  
Return Visit! (LP)   Fontana  
Tracks Appear On:
Whatever's Fair!: Atlantic Soul Explosion '72 (2xLP) What's Goin' On, Mercy... Atlantic 1972
Atlantic Jazz-Express (LP, Comp) Celestial Bliss Atlantic, WEA Musik GmbH 1974
New Music That Stays New (2xLP, Comp) Sugar, Serenade To A C... Warner Bros. Records 1977
Atlantic Jazz ● The Avant-Garde (CD) Black Mystery Has Been... Atlantic 1986
Jazz Dance 1 (LP, Comp) Triple Threat Atlantis (2) 1987
Jazz Juice 7 (Comp) (2 versions) Making Love After Hours Street Sounds 1988
Jazz Juice 8 (Comp) (2 versions) Sugar Street Sounds 1988
Anything Goes: The Cole Porter Songbook - Instrumentals (CD) Get Out Of Town Verve Records 1992
The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Box + 3xCD) Get Out Of Town Verve Records 1993
Mojo Club Presents Dancefloor Jazz Vol. Three - Work To Do (2 versions) Fallout Motor Music 1994
Talkin' Verve (Comp) (2 versions) Fall Out Verve Records 1995
A Night Out With Verve (4xCD, Comp + Box) Someone To Watch Over Me Verve Records 1996
Jazz Satellites Volume 1: Electrification (2xCD) The Black Mystery Has ... Virgin 1996
Someone To Watch Over Me - The Classic Songs Of George & Ira Gershwin (CD) Someone To Watch Over Me Spectrum Music (2) 1997
Funkin' The Ghetto (CD, Mono) Making Love After Hours BGP Records 2000
Heavy Flute (CD) Ain't No Sunshine, One... Label M 2000
Psychedelic Jazz And Soul (LP) Freaks For The Festival Warner Strategic Marketing 2001
Soul Bossa Nova (LP) Echoes Of Primitive Oh... Warner Music UK Ltd. 2002
Troublemakers - Stereo Pictures Vol. 02 (CD) Ain't No Sunshine MK2 Music 2002
The Rare Tunes Collection "From Latin... To Jazz Dance" - Vol. 3 (CD, Comp, Ltd, Dig) Fallout Rare Groove Recordings 2003
Deelder Blijft Draaien (CD, Comp, Dig) Mingus-griff Song Sonic Scenery 2004
LateNightTales (CD, Comp, Mixed) Haunted Feelings Azuli Records 2004
Strange Brew - Weird & Wonderful Covers From The Warner & Atlantic Vaults (2xLP, Comp) My Girl Warner Music UK Ltd., Warner Jazz 2004
People Get Ready / Protest Songs From The Atlantic & Warner Jazz Vaults (CD, Promo) Blacknuss Warner Strategic Marketing (UK) 2005
Prestige Profiles Volume 10 (CD, Comp) Kirk's Work Prestige 2005
Tease! The Beat Of Burlesque (CD, Comp) You Did It, You Did It Verve Records 2005
Mastercuts Jazz Cafe (3xCD, Comp) Inflated Tear Mastercuts 2006
The Beastie Collection 2 (2xLP) Freaks For The Festival Strictly Breaks Records 2006
Favorite Recorded Scream (12", Ltd) Scream Small World 2009
Unofficial Releases:
Jazz Juice Vol. 11 (12") Making Love After Hours Not On Label (Street Sounds Bootlegs)  
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Reviews & Discussion

Review by lennylightweight Jan 04, 2007 (edited over 2 years ago)
Rahsaan was considered to be either crazy or a genius, from what I can hear my conclusion is a worthy genius. How many musicians can play multiple nose trumpets/flutes along with an array of self-modified saxophones. For me, this is a purchase on sight artist.

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