Most of the reactions are demonetised because I'm using copyrighted content and the copyright holders don't think it's fair use. If you'd like to support making these reactions you can buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/helinereacts
Roland Kirk was a genius no question, the norm just got thrown out the window, totally underrated, made some incredible music in the 50's,60's and 70's even carried on playing more than one sax despite having a stroke, a sad loss way to young!
I had the chance to listen to him in Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975 and he made fire in the place. All the audience were stood up crying yealing. A total madness. I remember the tune Miles mode (J. Coltrane tune) played with two saxes and a trumpet in the same time, sounding like Miles. So much time passed, I still have goosebumps and vertical hairs. A pure pure genius. I have one broadcast a year dedicated to him in the radio I work, to introduce him to the public. So underrated musician. (Sorry for my bad english, I'm frenchie).
This MAN was a clear GENIUS, I'm really surprised that someone as young as you are listening to him...and I want to say, that's wonderful Heline! Many Flautists have never heard of him! I first heard him as a child in 1964 with his classic, "You Did It, You Did It, You KNOW You Did It!" Check out that one!
Actually, Ian was doing these techniques (singing while playing, etc.) and somebody told him he sounded like Roland Kirk and should check him out. So he did and that’s when he learned Serenade for a Cuckoo
Kirk could play two saxes at the same time. As in both in his mouth and playing different 'parts' simultaneously, as if it was two people playing separately. If you weren't looking, you wouldn't notice. The videos are fun and rough-edged. There IS perfection, but on his recordings, it is pure virtuoso performance. His ability on flute, clarinet or sax is absolutely incredible.
Kirk also made or altered instruments. His primary saxophones were a standard tenor saxophone, stritch (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's conventional upturned bell), and a manzello (a modified saxello soprano sax, with a larger, upturned bell). Kirk modified instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique. I'd be interesting to hear your reactions to his songs We Free Kings or Blacknuss.
One of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's most famous solos was his flute solo in Quincy Jones's "Soul Bossa Nova" from the Austin Powers movies! Hubert Laws has maybe the most beautiful flute tone I've heard. Eric Dolphy is also someone else worth checking out.
Fun fact about Rahsann Roland Kirk, Jimi Hendrix was going to make an album with him before he died! But he is the greatest of all time in my opinion. Great video, hope you do some more Roland Kirk, he truly was one of a kind!
I think you'd love his live album " Bright Moments " . It was recorded at the Keystone Corner and the fun vibe captured is infectious . I heard a cut from this on a late night drive thru Iowa back in the 70s and found my first vinyl copy when my work trip was finished . After almost fifty years , it remains in my stack of favorites .
In an audio biography about Kirk it mentioned that, when he was a kid, he listened to Swing orchestras on the radio...and he assumed that only one person was playing horn parts. That assumption led Kirk to play 2-3 saxes at a time, and other instruments simultaneously. He was friends with Jimi Hendrix, and unfortunately IMHO they both were accused of being gimmicky and shallow. But I must say that seeing the man at Detroit's Bakers Keyboard Lounge in 1974 that nothing was further from the truth. Same goes for Jimi who I saw in 68 and 69.
Sorry, if someone has explained this. He called it circular breathing. He could play sax, flute, whatever, without stopping for a breath. Oh, just saw caption.
I've been a Tull fan since the early '70's. I had no idea about the Roland Kirk connection, Thanks for sharing that. Warning; Once you become an Ian Anderson fan, you can't go back :)
You know the reason I knew about this is only because on Jethro Tull's very first album he actually does that very song serenade to a cuckoo and then I noticed it was written by this Roland Kirk so you might have to check out Jethro Tull's version to hear what Ian Anderson added to the whole thing you know all right my dear
Roland Kirk was a musician you couldn't invent. It took his own particular genius for that! He was a virtuoso on nearly any instrument he played, and his knowledge of jazz ran from ragtime to whatever was current when he played! There are few cover versions of his tunes because most of them would take a full sax section. A lovely example of Roland on a single instrument is his manzello solo on A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square!
Heline I recommend you check out the flute work of Swedish flutist/keyboardist/composer Björn Json Lindh. He has done music that are both classical/progressive rock/jazz fusion and also several film scores in the 70's and 80's. His flute playing reminds a lot of Ian Anderson and Roland Kirk, but it is more atmospheric. Here is one clip "Lastbrygga" : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vPmBLEe_a7M.html
The last time I saw Rahsaan, maybe a year or so before his death, he played a circular breathing run for maybe 45 minutes without stopping except to move those fingers. And this was really only half his fingers.... because he had a stroke which greatly curtailed his playing. It didn't stop him from wearing his usual "regalia" though..... he would sometimes work one of those paralyzed fingers onto a sax key and play a note ala bagpipe drone. So happy to see musicians still discovering Kirk's genius.
I'm a Tenor Sax player who has dabbled with the flute. Years ago, I tried learning how to close off my throat and do circular breathing, but didn't get very far. R. R. Kirk is one of my 3 favorite Jazz Tenor Sax players. Too bad he died too young.
That was fun :) Rahsaan Roland Kirk was quite amazing - so creative, original, and experimental. A very long time ago I wore out the vinyl record that this comes from, "I Talk to the Spirits", which is an album of sort of straight ahead jazz, on flute. You'd probably like the whole thing. I always was charmed by the song "Fugue'n And Alludin'" a vibraphone-flute duet. And yes, he was known for circular breathing and playing multiple simultaneous saxes that were wired together so he could play, for example, three saxophones all at once :)
Hello Helene, he was a great man. Seeing that you enjoy discovering new things, try this by Mr Kirk... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vlcpPvXIbD8.html I have played it to musicians I know, mainly guitarists and keyboard players and they all say, yeah it's great. But I ask what's remarkable about it, and they don't know. The first two and a half minutes is continuous, but they didn't get it. I played it to a trumpeter and he spotted it immediately.
Circular Breathing is so fun! Took me 3 weeks of continuous playing on my didgeridoo to get it down but even 3 years later it's as easy as breathing ^~^
i don't find the use of the nose disgusting at all. the mouth is even worse if you think about it. it's not like he's putting it in his mouth after it going into his nose! :)
i had Jethro s album as a teen with serenade to a cuckoo and its Fantastic . Its quite the production from Ian . I never knew it was not Ians own work till now . TY
I really enjoy your reaction videos. I play trombone and listen to Bill Watrous. He was with Chick Corea and Burton Laws playing Spain. Phenomenal flute solo by Laws. You must check it out.
I'm glad you entered the world of Jazz flute. There are some great players you can check. And if you want something similar to Ian, but in a Latin Jazz context check this video by Dave Valentine: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GuwS0n3oUxA.html
Being musician & understanding and commenting music like homeless understands life in the castle - it is a shame. Like Frank Zappa said - you can make more money as a butcher!
