Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Columbus, Ohio, E. - U., August 7th 1936 - Bloomington, Indiana, the USA, December 5th 1977) is an instrumentalist of American Jazz . It practiced the Saxophone S, often simultaneously, and several other wind instruments: Flute, Recorder, Clarinet.

Born Ronald Theodore Kirk, it changes his name into Roland Kirk in 1952. In 1969, he intends in dream God to call it " Rahsaan" : it then adopts definitively the name of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. " Rahsaan" Name which will mean from now on for him “the music of the sun”, “the traveller” or " Black Vibrations".

Visually handicapped person since its birth, it becomes blind at 2 years. At 5 years it is provided education for with the college for blind men of Ohio ( Ohio State College for The Blind ), where it remains until 1953. As of 12 years, he plays of the saxophone and the clarinet in the orchestra of the school. It will learn there the Bugle, the trumpet, the Clarinette.

For a long time dreaming to play of three saxophones at the same time, Roland works his very personal technique of circular Respiration, which it will call “spherical breathing” and " Threat" triple;. Schematically, it is a question of inspiring by the nose all into blowing by the mouth in the instrument.

After some more or less successful tests, it is made known in 1961, partly thanks to its participation in two albums of Charles Mingus: Oh Yeah and Tonight At Noon . It is at the same time that it begins the flute, that it will practice soon as a virtuoso. Not only he sings while playing of the flute, by using the voice of head, but he introduces also various intervals.

During years, Roland Kirk multiplies the instruments and the styles. He quickly becomes unclassable. Its power and its generosity, as testifies to it the recording to the Festival of live Montreux in 1972 of the album I, Eye, Aye , cannot leave indifferent.

He dies in 1977 one second old victim Brain attack.

Discography

• 1960 : Introducing Roland Kirk
• 1961: Kirk' S Work
• 1961: We Free Kings
• 1962 : Domino
• 1963: Reeds & Deeds
• 1963: Kirk in Copenhagen ( public recording )
• 1964: Roland Kirk Meets the Benny Golson Orchestrated
• 1964: I Talk to the Spirits
• 1964: Gifts and Messages
• 1965: Young stag Comes the Whistleman ( public recording )
• 1965: Latin Slightly
• 1965: RIP, Rig and Panic grass
• 1967: Funk Underneath
• 1967 : Now Please Don' T You Cry , Beautiful Edith
• 1967: The Inflated Tear
• 1968 : Left and Right
• 1968: Volunteered Slavery
• 1970 : Rahsaan Rahsaan
• 1971 : Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata
• 1971 : Blacknuss
• 1972 : has Meeting off the Times
• 1972: I, Eye, Aye: Live At the Montreux Jazz Festival ,
• 1973: Bright Moments ( public recording )
• 1973: Prepare Thyself to Deal With has Miracle
• 1973: The Art off Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• 1975: The Puts the 3 off Sided Dream in Audio Color'
• 1975: The Return off the 5000 Lb. Man
• 1976 : Other Folks'Music
• 1976 : Kirkatron
• 1977 : Boogie-woogie String Along for Real
• 2000: Third Dimension
• 2003: Compliments off the Mysterious Phantom ( public recording )
• 2005: Third Dimension & Beyond
• 2005: Copenhagen Concert ( public recording )

External bonds

• Biography on Neospheres
• Interview in Jazz Magazine