HEY YOU HATERS WHO THINK THIS IS A GIMMICK - TRY THIS: Take two glasses of water and place a straw in each glass. Now try to blow bubbles evenly and consistently into both glasses with one straw in your MOUTH and one straw in your NOSE. Not so easy eh? That is the amazing technique Rahsaan Roland Kirk is actually doing here while he is artfully playing his wonderful original style of music on these woodwinds. Rahsaan Roland Kirk is a true original like no other. Here is something easier for you to try: Just try circular breathing with ONE straw into a glass of water and consistently keep the bubbles even and non-stop by storing air in your cheeks. This is (one) standard way circular breathing is taught so students can catch the basic concept of it. Rahsaan Roland Kirk, however, took this up another notch by doing circular breathing on a FLUTE (which is basically a whistle) with no back pressure at all for the mechanics of storing air in your cheeks for an indefinite duration of a note or lick. Does anyone know very many (if any) who can circular breath on a FLUTE? The physiology we see here of someone with the ability to expel air through the nose and mouth AT THE SAME TIME is baffling. None of this is a gimmick. What you see here is unique technique and pure musicianship.
Kirk was just amazing. He could play 2 Flutes, 3 Saxophones, Circular Breathing and he was Blind. Is he handing out Nose Candy to the members of the audience at 5:52?
I just now in 2021 found out about "nose flutes" , researching the jaw harp - leave it to Mr. Cool, to make those incredible sounds from one...I also just learned he's blind...Namaste
I've read that is actually snuff he is handing out, not coke. Additionally the "nose flute" as he calls it is really a standard soprano recorder with a rubber tube and some medical tape so he can shove that bad boy way up there and it'll stay. Playing counterpoint to himself was something Kirk had a dream about, though in the dream it was the sounds multiple saxophones. So he played upwards of 3 saxes at the same time, and for his flute playing, he opted for the "nose flute" for counterpoint. Y'all know he's blind too, right?
Joe "Habao" Texidor was with Rahsaan for some time, and was a solid and appreciated member of the group. Rahsaan wouldn't keep him around if he couldn't carry his weight. and I don't think it can be a cow bell, if it is made of wood
+Johnny Joseph'sson a year later, my comment sounds a lot more obnoxious than I meant it. Props to you for knowing the guy's name and more about the band. Nothing but respect for RRK and the band.
It's not a gimmick, that's talent. Why don't you try playing two flutes at the same time with your mouth and your nose? It requires a much developed skill called circular breathing that most amateurs simply cannot do.
Yes, he is talented and skilled, however he cannot play instruments in nose and mouth using circular breathing... Circular breathing is basically breathing in through your nose while using the remainder of air in your mouth to feed the instrument. Playing two instruments or more at te same time (either using nostrils and/or mouth requires enough pressure from the lungs to feed all instruments and depends on the airpressure needed to make each instrument work.
Gene De Lisa dont be a gimmick Genie Boy. Be real like Rahsaan was. He was an incredible talent never to be discounted by the likes of you, a gimmick prone individual
Anybody who thinks that snuff is out of their mind. If it was snuff it wouldn't be hilarious and these 20 year old kids in the 70s wouldn't be that interested. That's forsure some blow 😂
