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Roland Kirk, We Free Kings


garymd

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Allan pointed me toward this LP when it came up on ebay and I nabbed it from a local guy for $4.25. I offered to pick it up but we couldn't find a mutual spot so he shipped it for free. To my shock and horror, it arrived today in a plain envolope, big but plain. No box, no padding, just an envelope. The jacket was a tad bent but the LP somehow survived and after a good cleaning looks and plays like new!

This guy is AMAZING! He plays the tenor sax, manzello, stritch and flute, sometimes 3 instruments at the same time! Fast paced jazz with a touch of blues, a sprinkle of gospel and maybe a pinch of salsa in there too. Great rythym section including Richard Wyands and Hank Jones on piano, Art Davis and Wendell Marshall on bass and Charlie Persip on drums. Recorded live in August, 1961. This is an OUTSTANDING LP! I was stunned by the clarity and depth of the recording. Highly recommended.

I'm hoping Allan jumps in with some more details as I would like to know more about this guy and what other recordings to keep an eye out for.

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I knew you were ready for Rahssan Roland Kirk!

I was lucky enough to hear him live in 1976--he died way too young a short time later. This was the first time I heard anyone play with "circular breathing" and I just about fell out of my chair --by this time Kirk had suffered a stroke and could only play one-handed and he had a special rig that would hold up his various horns--he played a 10 minute solo without appearing to take a breath that kept buliding and BUILDING and when you didn't think he could go any further he'd kick it up ANOTHER notch. And remember--this was all with ONE HAND! He followed that performance with an absolutely HEART WRENCHING slow blues. He only played about an hour and I couldn't stay for the second set and a few months later he was dead and I never got to hear him again.

Needless to say I've been a huge fan ever since--I don't reccomend Kirk to people until they're ready for it--you have to be a real jazz fan to appreciate his music. Kirk was also an activist, a Muslim who was devoted to the civil rights movement and was known for some VERY strong and controversial views.

"We Free Kings" was his third LP as a leader and a real breakthrough. He went on to record a bunch of LPs for Mercury, Limelight and Atlantic troughout the 60's and early 70's. He actually cut an LP with BENNY GOLSON, but Golson's arrangements just don't fit with Kirk's style--he seems too constrained--but it is still worth looking for the LP if you are a fan of both musicians.

If you are just randomly looking for some Kirk records, here are four that are MUST HAVES if you are a fan:

Rip, Rig and Panic (Limelight) The Inflated Tear (Atlantic)

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Volunteered Slavery (Atlantic) Bright Moments (Atlantic)

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I have got this album here and it's time I'll give it another listen. I just came back from Dizzy's club here in Manhatten. Saw MULGREW MILLER TRIO W GARY BARTZ.

The performance was so good that we've stayed for the second session. Luckily they only charged us for the drinks. Gary Bartz is just amazing.

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On 1/19/2005 12:02:04 AM Guy Landau wrote:

I have got this album here and it's time I'll give it another listen. I just came back from Dizzy's club here in Manhatten. Saw
MULGREW MILLER TRIO W GARY BARTZ.

The performance was so good that we've stayed for the second session. Luckily they only charged us for the drinks. Gary Bartz is just amazing.
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NICE! But you forgot the "Coca Cola" part of the club's name.

Do they pack you in like sardines? I hate the Blue Note for that reason alone (even though I go there every time I'm in NYC).

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On 1/19/2005 2:06:07 AM Allan Songer wrote:

NICE! But you forgot the "Coca Cola" part of the club's name.

Do they pack you in like sardines? I hate the Blue Note for that reason alone (even though I go there every time I'm in NYC).

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The place is quite big and roomey. Tatally different from Blue note, Village Vanguard and the rest.

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Gary,

Glad to read of someone discovering the richness of Rhasaan Roland Kirk's incredible work. To kick his accomplisments as a Jazz musician and artist in at another level, he was also blind, and had been since soon after being born. This gentleman was a GIANT of music and particularly Jazz if there ever was one. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform 3 times. He also played with the Charles Mingus Band for a few years, and if you want to hear him light the sax on fire, check out his work on "Mingus at Carnegie Hall", Atlantic SC 1667, recorded live at Carnegie Hall, Jan 19, 1974. Side 1, C Jam Blues. Bright Moments.

Klipsch out.

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Guy,

You're in Jazz heaven by living in the Big Apple. I wish Gary Bartz would get out on the road more, because he plays such a soulful alto sax. Because he spends so much time in the "Apple" many people have no idea how good or even who he is. I'd love to have an opportunity to see him in the near future.

Klipsch out.

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On 1/19/2005 2:47:54 PM jazman wrote:

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http://www.alfanet.hu/kirk/img/rahintro.gif" width=272 align=right border=0>

Gary,

Glad to read of someone discovering the richness of Rhasaan Roland Kirk's incredible work. To kick his accomplisments as a Jazz musician and artist in at another level, he was also blind, and had been since soon after being born. This gentleman was a GIANT of music and particularly Jazz if there ever was one. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform 3 times. He also played with the Charles Mingus Band for a few years, and if you want to hear him light the sax on fire, check out his work on "Mingus at Carnegie Hall", Atlantic SC 1667, recorded live at Carnegie Hall, Jan 19, 1974. Side 1, C Jam Blues. Bright Moments.

Klipsch out.

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Thanks Edmond. I'll look for that LP. I also forgot to mention he was blind!

I've listened to this LP twice already. Man what a great recording!

Allan - I don't see this as music a jazz newbie couldn't appreciate. It ain't Stan Getz or Zoot Sims but it's no Ascension either!2.gif

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On 1/19/2005 7:17:53 PM garymd wrote:

Allan - I don't see this as music a jazz newbie couldn't appreciate. It ain't Stan Getz or Zoot Sims but it's no Ascension either!
2.gif

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You say that because you are no longer a newbie! I think ones collection has to go far beyone "Kind of Blue" and "Time Out" before diving into Roland Kirk.

Are you listening to any Sonny Criss these days? I've had him on the table every night for the past couple of weeks. Talk about GIFTED!
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The early Criss stuff is really tough to find on vinyl--the Norgran 10" is as scarce as you can imagine and the three Imperial and one Peacock LP from the 50's are also super expensive, but ALL of these were released in Japan on KING records in the late 1970's/early 1980's and they turn up from time to time in the $30 range. Another early recording can be found on "Pablo" from the 1980's--Norman Granz recorded Criss in about 1952 and NEVER RELEASED THE TAPES--he came across them and finally got them out on a LP called "Intermission Riff." Not the BEST recording (but not bad, either), but it is some FIERCE bebop and worth tracking down. It's a septet and features the great trombone of Bennie Green along side Criss. You will LOVE this record.

Criss moved to France in the early 1960's and cut a couple of records for Brunswick with mostly French sidemen. Alot of Criss aficionados think these are his finest recordings. When you see the French LPs on ebay they sell for $600 and up EACH, but Fresh Sound put out a BEAUTIFUL box set of these recordings in the 80's--I bought mine brand new for $40. Once in a while you see the set on ebay and it sells for about $125-$150 or so.

Criss came back to the US and recorded a mess of albums for Prestige in the late 60's--these are farily rare but have minimal collector value (YET!) and can be snapped up for little money. They are ALL good.

There are two records for MUSE in the mid 1970's--"Crisscraft" and "Out of Nowhere" that are really great too and they are also cheap.

Your "Idle Moments" went out today.

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On 1/19/2005 9:16:38 PM Allan Songer wrote:

Thanks, pal. Didn't know you were the new moderator here.

Oops! Just checked--you're NOT the new moderator!

You can crawl back into your hole now.

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That was really uncalled for, Allan. You know, Analogman was into jazz before it was cool. Show the man some respect and you might learn something. 1.gif

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Paulie!

Nine of the last ten threads you started were in 2-channel. Five of them called our attention to and made fun of new super-expensive hi-fi products at the CES in Las Vegas. Two others notified us of ebay auctions and another called our attention to a sale at Tower Records. How did these threads contribute to the stated purpose of the 2-channel forum?

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On 1/19/2005 9:33:18 PM Allan Songer wrote:

Paulie!

Nine of the last ten threads you started were in 2-channel. Five of them called our attention to and made fun of new super-expensive hi-fi products at the CES in Las Vegas. Two others notified us of ebay auctions and another called our attention to a sale at Tower Records. How did these threads contribute to the stated purpose of the 2-channel forum?

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Well that's easy! Half of the products were 2-channel amps or preamps. Half of the products were expressly 2-channel SACD players, as opposed to the normal multichannel configuration.

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