Complete Recordings: 1956-1962

Probably the most exciting sax soloist in jazz history, multi-instrumentalist (& blind) Roland Kirk could play several instruments at the same time (he would make his own instruments or reshape existing ones for that purpose), plus by learning “circular breathing”, he could play continuously with no discernible pauses. He mostly led his own bands, but he was a sideman on a few acclaimed albums, 3 of which are in this great sounding (w/headphones) box set. Except for his debut album in mono, the other 7 are in stereo; playback volume levels are fairly uniform (the 2nd album on disc 1 is slightly lower than the other 7). These 8 albums fall into what many consider to be his “golden age”. Disc 1: 66 minutes; albums Triple Threat (1956) & Introducing Roland Kirk (’60). D-2: 70; We Free Kings & Kirk’s Work (both ’61). D-3: 71; Domino & Big Band Bossa Nova (by the Qunicy Jones Band) (both ’62). D4: 73; Out of the Afternoon (by the Roy Haynes Quartet) & Tubby’s Back in Town (by Tubby Hayes & the All Stars) (both ‘62). All albums are complete & in proper song order, except for Tubby’s...(songs mixed up). Discs are securely held by plastic teeth inside a dual-hinged jewel case, which in turn slides into a cardboard box /a closing flap. Minimal 4 page booklet w/minor Kirk bio inside; front cover shows pictures of all 8 album’s front; rear page lists album, date, label w/catalog #, song title w/length & composer’s last name. No personnel listed. If interested, Windows Media player correctly identifies each song.

This is a 2014 Enlightenment records reissue of eight Rahsaan Roland Kirk albums originally released between 1956 through 1962. The box set contains 62 tracks totaling 275 minutes. The sound is consistently crisp and clear throughout. The time period covers Roland Kirk as he was ascending into one of the most sought out jazz artists in the post bop era. These albums feature the artist as either lead or as a strong collaborator with major jazz artists. "Triple Threat", released in 1956 was Roland Kirk's debut project. It featured seven tracks of which four were composed by Mr. Kirk. The record offered the first examples of the artist playing multiple wind instruments. Two standards,' The Nearness of You' and" Stormy Weather" were overdubbed with Manzello and tenor sax played by Roland Kirk. This early work previewed the artist's brilliant creative potential. "Introducing Roland Kirk" was the artist's second solo album. Issued in 1960, this work contained six tracks with three numbers composed by Roland Kirk. "We Free Kings" is a 1961 release containing nine tracks, seven are Kirk compositions. The album contains moving performances by Hank Jones on piano and Wendell Marshall (Jimmy Blanton's cousin) on double bass. "Domino" was originally issued in 1962. This album dramatically showcases Kirk's unique performance and arranging talent. There are ten tracks with five Kirk compositions. The performances and audio quality are exceptional. "Kirk's Work" is a 1961release originally engineered by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder. The album includes ten tracks with four tunes written by Kirk. Jack McDuff on Hammond organ and Art Taylor on drums deliver stunning performances. "Big Band Bosa Nova" proved one of Kirk's most commercially successful albums. It was essentially a Quincy Jones project; he produced it and lined up an all star cast to record the material. The group consisted of Phil Woods (alto sax), Clark Terry (trumpet), Jim Hall (guitar), Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax) and Roland Kirk (flute). The album produced the best selling single," Soul Bosa Nova". "Out of the Afternoon", released in 1962 was a Roy Haynes Quartet project. It contains seven tracks, including outstanding renditions of "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Some Other Spring". Performing along with Haynes and Kirk are Tommy Flannigan on piano and Henry Grimes on bass. This album proved a major contribution to the Post Bop genre. The final album included in the box set is the 1962 release,"Tubby's Back in Town". Tubby Hayes was a major talent in the U.K. jazz scene. He was a gifted musician who led the Ronnie Scott house band between 1957-59. Unfortunately, he was little known in the U.S., primarily due to limited exposure. His career was cut short with his untimely death at 38 years of age in 1973. This album, containing five tracks, allows the listener to appreciate the collaboration between Tubby and Roland Kirk. Other musicians include James Moody (sax), Sam Jones (bass), Louis Hayes (drums) and Walter bishop jr. (piano). "Afternoon in Paris" and the medley" If I had you"/"Alone Together" are classic jazz recordings. Highly recommended for all Rahsaan Roland Kirk and/or post bop fans that have yet to add these recordings to their collections.

Four stars because Mr Kirk, for all his massive, eccentric virtuosity, is not averse to covering songs that are beneath his talents. But what sort of restores the fifth star is the fact that we get to hear the evolution of his ferocious, multi-reed attack. I love Soul Bossa Nova, but Kirk gets a little buried in Quincy Jones' busy, saccharin arrangements. Mr Jones is a great bandleader/arranger as we can hear from his work with Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra to name a few and his film soundtracks(The Pawnbroker for instance), but he can sometimes fall into the trap of creating trite, cliche-ridden arrangements. You can hear evidence of that on the Jones album included in this set. Makes you treasure every note, chord and multi-reed blast from Roland Kirk's arsenal all the more! Droops in spots(mostly spots where Mr Kirk is not playing), but still worth the purchase.

First of all this package is a great value, I've read other reviewers for similar items note that these publishers may be taking advantage of differences in copyright laws etc. I don't know enough to speak about the veracity of those claims but it comes up enough with these budget collections I felt it was worth noting. As someone who simply wanted to explore the music of Roland Kirk, this was a great introduction. While my favorite album of his is one that is not in this collection ("Inflated Tear"), the 9 albums featured are pretty awesome. Another reviewer does a good job of explaining some of the history of these albums, so I'll just say if you're someone into exploring jazz and Roland Kirk especially I'm not sure there's a better starting point.

This is an amazing collection of some of jazz's finest works! Plus, the CD itself was in great condition, so the vender is pretty reliable.

It was good to reacquaint myself with Roland Kirk's works after so many years with this compilation. Excellent fidelity and a wonderful collection.

Mr. Kirk was a genius.

everything good you heard about roland kirk, or rahsaan roland kirk, is almost true. he's actually better..

Great deal, loved discovering this prodigous talent.

I'll keep this short if I can! This set presents Kirk's output over the years mentioned and the recordings are so good considering their age, sounding crystal clear to me - beautiful. The playing is vibrant and flowing, and the listener might forget just how old these recordings are. This has to be a bargain even at the current price, (it was only £6-66 on pre-order), so grab it whilst you can. The notes about the release on Amazon's page are taken word for word from the very basic booklet that comes with the set. Packaging is a standard 4CD plastic box with a cardboard outer box. If you like this guy, get this set, if you're wondering about it, take the plunge for he is a multi-instrumentalist in the true sense of the word.

Roland Kirk ist ein Ausnahmemusiker mit viel Humor, sehr abwechslungsreiche Musik. Würde ich jederzeit wieder kaufen. Schade, dass er schon lange tod ist.

I already had a few of these but this was still a bargain price just for the ones i didn't have. An essential purchase and a great way to discover and increase your jazz cd collection. All recordings are excellent in this box and have been throughout these collections.

Roland Kirk is the most amazing and talented musicians out there. Highly recommended for people into jazz.