Roland Kirk

994 fans

One of the most extraordinary musicians of any field, Roland Kirk thrilled audiences all over the world - not just with his amazing virtuosity on flute, sax and a variety of other instruments, but also his showmanship on stage. Blind from the age of two, he played several instruments at the same time, filled his concerts with hilarity and outspoken commentaries and proved himself with groundbreaking performances, lacing his jazz with unexpected influences, including classical and Motown. His first instruments were bugle and trumpet before he graduated to clarinet and sax, joining R&B bands in his mid-teens. He soon devised his own techniques and created unique instrumentation, playing 'manzello' and 'stritch' - modified versions of the sax - experimenting with R&B on his first album 'Triple Threat' in 1956. He mastered circular breathing, allowing him to play intensely without pausing for breath, and in 1960 he recorded his second album 'Introducing Roland Kirk' in Chicago with saxophonist/trumpeter Ira Sullivan. He toured with Charles Mingus, fronted his own band - the Vibration Society - and became something of a political activist, fighting for the rights of African-American artists.He constantly experimented, adding nose flute, piccolo and harmonica to his musical armoury as he sought to open the boundaries of jazz and invented his very own instruments, the trumpophone and the slidesophone. One of his most notable triumphs was his playing on the 1964 hit 'Soul Bossa Nova' with Quincy Jones later used in the 'Austin Powers' film franchise. He was partially paralysed following a stroke in 1975, but continued to record and perform with one arm, until his death in 1977, immediately after a concert in Bloomington, Indiana, at the age of 42.

Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved

Top titres

10	When The Sun Comes Out	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:41
	Auteur : Ted Koehler / Compositeurs : Harold Arlen
02	Alfie	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	02:52
	Auteur : Hal David / Compositeurs : Burt Bacharach
07	We Free Kings	Roland Kirk	We Free Kings	04:44
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
05	Fall Out	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	03:04
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
17	A Stritch in Time (Live)	Roland Kirk	Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 2	10:01
13	(On A) Misty Night (Live)	Roland Kirk	Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 2	09:32
05	A Sack Full Of Soul	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	04:37
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
26	Petite Fleur	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:13
	Auteur : Bechet / Compositeurs : Bechet
06	Blues For Alice	Roland Kirk	We Free Kings	04:06
	Auteur : Charlie Parker / Compositeurs : Charlie Parker
15	Avalon (Live)	Roland Kirk	Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 2	09:47
02	Rolando	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	03:44
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
07	I Believe in You (Original Mix)	Roland Kirk	Golden Hits	04:26
	Compositeurs : S. Kelvigdam
01	Domino	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Anthology, Vol. 1	03:16
	Compositeurs : Louis Pierre Ferrari - Dominique - Jacques Plante
13	Peter Gunn	Roland Kirk	Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz	02:58
	Auteur : Henry Mancini / Compositeurs : Henry Mancini
05	Days Of Wine And Roses	Roland Kirk	Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini	02:45
	Auteur : Johnny Mercer - Henry Mancini / Compositeurs : Johnny Mercer - Henry Mancini
01	Land Of Peace	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	05:54
	Auteur : Feather / Compositeurs : Feather
07	Making Love After Hours (Live)	Roland Kirk	Prague 1967 (Live)	04:42
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
01	1 Without the Oil (Original Mix)	Roland Kirk	Golden Hits	02:35
	Compositeurs : S. Kelvigdam
06	My Delight	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Essential Classics, Vol. 574: Rahsaan Roland Kirk	04:27
	Auteur : Ronald Theodore Kirk / Compositeurs : Ronald Theodore Kirk
18	Jive Elephant	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:56
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
04	Hay Ro	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:04
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
02	Raouf	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	03:07
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
02	Moon Song	Roland Kirk	We Free Kings	04:20
	Auteur : Arthur Johnston - Sam Coslow / Compositeurs : Arthur Johnston - Sam Coslow
08	It's A Grand Night For Swinging	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	03:10
	Compositeurs : B. Taylor
06	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	04:23
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
08	Funk Underneath	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Essential Classics, Vol. 574: Rahsaan Roland Kirk	06:15
	Auteur : Ronald Theodore Kirk / Compositeurs : Ronald Theodore Kirk
09	Ecclusiastics	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	04:30
	Auteur : Mingus / Compositeurs : Mingus
08	I Remember Clifford (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	03:57
	Compositeurs : Benny Golson
02	a Stritch in Time (Original Mix)	Roland Kirk	Golden Hits	05:06
	Compositeurs : S. Kelvigdam
02	Sister Sadie (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	06:52
	Auteur : Horace Silver / Compositeurs : Horace Silver
15	Between The Fourth And The Fifth Step	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:43
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
01	Intro - Three for the Festival (Live)	Roland Kirk	Newport 1962 (Live)	04:43
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
27	March On, Swan Lake	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	04:00
	Auteur : Tchaikovsky - arr - Kirk / Compositeurs : Tchaikovsky - arr - Kirk
02	Moon Song	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	A Sack Full of Soul	03:38
	Compositeurs : Coslow - Johnston
06	Easy Living	Roland Kirk	Triple Threat	04:40
22	Mood Indigo	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	07:17
	Auteur : Bigard - Ellington - MiLLS / Compositeurs : Bigard - Ellington - MiLLS
12	A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	05:16
	Auteur : Sherwin - Maschwitz / Compositeurs : Sherwin - Maschwitz
03	Limbo Boat	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:02
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
02	Lonesome August Child	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	04:36
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
09	Blues For Alice (Alt Take) (Original Mix)	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	We Free Kings	05:13
07	Get Out Of Town (Remastered)	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Domino (Remastered)	04:49
10	Bags' Groove (Live)	Roland Kirk	Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 2	12:07
04	Silverlization	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	04:59
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
04	Juarez	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	05:26
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
15	Someone To Watch Over Me	Roland Kirk	Jazz Legends - Songs Of Cole Porter/Rodgers & Hart/Gershwin	03:35
	Auteur : Ira Gershwin / Compositeurs : George Gershwin
11	Where Monk And Mingus Live - Let's Call This (Remastered)	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Domino (Remastered)	04:12
05	Three in One, Without the Oil (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	02:21
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
03	It's All In The Game	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	05:21
	Auteur : Carl Sigman - Charles Gates Dawes / Compositeurs : Carl Sigman - Charles Gates Dawes
07	The Skaters Waltz	Roland Kirk	Pre-Rahsaan [2-fer]	04:23
	Compositeurs : Émile Waldteufel
25	The Things I Love	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:15
	Auteur : Harri - Barlow / Compositeurs : Harri - Barlow
07	You Did It, You Did It (2014 Remastered Version)	Roland Kirk	We Free Kings (2014 Remastered Version)	02:30
	Compositeurs : Kirk
03	Why Don't They Know	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	02:54
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
06	Domino (2nd set) (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	07:35
	Auteur : Jacques Plante / Compositeurs : Luis Pierre Dominique Ferrari
03	Domino (Live)	Roland Kirk	Newport 1962 (Live)	08:46
	Compositeurs : Louis Ferrari - Jacques Plante - Don Raye
06	This Is Always	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	04:20
	Auteur : Warren - Gordon / Compositeurs : Warren - Gordon
02	Dyna-Soar	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:36
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
12	Domino, pt. 2 (Remastered)	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Domino (Remastered)	04:07
07	Reeds And Deeds	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	05:20
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
13	Variations On A Theme By Hindemith	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	03:30
	Auteur : Kirk / Compositeurs : Kirk
10	By Myself	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	04:23
	Auteur : DiETZ - Schwartz / Compositeurs : DiETZ - Schwartz
01	Hip Chops	Roland Kirk	Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz	03:33
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
12	Stitt's Tune	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	09:59
	Auteur : Sonny Stitt / Compositeurs : Sonny Stitt
13	I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Remastered)	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Domino (Remastered)	03:15
04	Song of the Countrymen	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Reeds and Deeds	06:56
	Compositeurs : Kirk
08	Waltz of the Friends	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Reeds and Deeds	04:40
	Compositeurs : Kirk
03	Tenderly (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	04:25
	Compositeurs : Jack Lawrence - Walter Gross
03	Our Waltz	Roland Kirk	Introducing....	04:53
	Compositeurs : D. Rose
02	Nice & Easy (Live)	Roland Kirk	Newport 1962 (Live)	05:57
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
06	Jack The Ripper	Roland Kirk	Introducing Roland Kirk	08:03
	Auteur : Roland Kirk - William Burton / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk - William Burton
07	Blues for Alice (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	03:43
	Auteur : Charlie Parker / Compositeurs : Charlie Parker
09	There Will Never Be Another You (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	03:02
	Auteur : Gordon Mack / Compositeurs : Harry Warren
09	Ebrauqs	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	08:26
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
01	Walk On By	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	02:32
	Auteur : Burt Bacharach - Hal David / Compositeurs : Burt Bacharach - Hal David
01	Domino (1st set) (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	05:20
	Auteur : Jacques Plante / Compositeurs : Luis Pierre Dominique Ferrari
06	Cabin In The Sky (Live At Club Montmarte, Copenhagen/1963)	Roland Kirk Quartet	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	07:47
	Auteur : Vernon Duke - John Latouche / Compositeurs : Vernon Duke - John Latouche
04	Better Git It in Your Soul (Live, Bremen, 1963)	Roland Kirk	Domino (Live at Radio Bremen TV-Studios 1963, ,)	05:49
	Auteur : Charles Mingus / Compositeurs : Charles Mingus
05	Shakey Money	Roland Kirk	Slightly Latin	02:37
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
14	I've Got Your Number	Roland Kirk	The Classic 1960s Albums	05:58
	Auteur : Coleman - leigh / Compositeurs : Coleman - leigh
16	And I Love Her	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:53
	Auteur : John Lennon - Paul McCartney / Compositeurs : John Lennon - Paul McCartney
11	Tears Sent By You	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	05:59
	Auteur : Michael Fleming / Compositeurs : Michael Fleming
06	Roland Speaks	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	03:04
	Auteur : Benny Golson - Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Benny Golson - Roland Kirk
01	Roland's Theme	Roland Kirk	Triple Threat	02:50
07	Stompin' Grounds	Roland Kirk	Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith	04:46
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
17	Vertigo Ro	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	04:07
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
13	Gifts & Messages	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	04:05
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
05	Spirit Girl	Roland Kirk	The Call	05:24
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
11	Ebrauqs	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	08:26
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
16	Where Does The Blame Lie	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:49
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
02	Soul Station	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	Anthology, Vol. 3	05:30
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
15	Blues For C & T	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	03:06
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
01	The Call	Roland Kirk	The Call	08:45
	Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
02	Makin' Whoopee	Roland Kirk	Kirk's Work (Remastered)	05:11
09	Termini's Corner	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	02:19
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
06	Too Late Now	Roland Kirk	Kirk's Work [RVG Remaster]	03:54
	Compositeurs : Burton Lane - Alan Jay Lerner
12	My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice	Roland Kirk	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	03:21
	Compositeurs : Camille Saint-Saëns
13	Abstract Improvisation	Roland Kirk Quartet	Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk	01:58
	Auteur : Roland Kirk / Compositeurs : Roland Kirk
10	I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Take 3) (Original Mix)	Roland Kirk	Golden Hits By Rahsaan Roland Kirk	02:21

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