Rahsaan Roland Kirk's nearly one-dozen long-players on the
Mercury Records family of labels -- including the Smash and Limelight
subsidiaries -- are gathered on this massive ten-disc compilation.
Actually, it is 11 discs if you count the surprise bonus CD.
Additionally, Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk lives
up to its name by augmenting those albums with more than two-dozen
previously unissued sides. Kirk's thoroughly innovative
multi-instrumental reed work caught the attention of legendary producer
Quincy Jones, then the vice-president of Mercury Records, who signed
Kirk and would later arrange and conduct orchestrations for several of
his memorable sessions. Perhaps the most recognizable among them is
"Soul Bossa Nova" which is heavily featured in the Austin Powers
franchise. Kirk's ability to perform several reed instruments --
including the tenor, flute, clarinet, manzello, and stritch --
simultaneously allowed him a musical autonomy few instrumentalists are
afforded. His youthful embrace of the R&B, soul, pop, and eventually
rock genres produced swinging interpretations of "And I Love Her" and
"Walk on By," among others. Regardless of the genre, however, Kirk's
ability to Swing -- with a capitol "S" -- is imprinted upon every piece
he performed. Although Kirk continued his prolific output on Atlantic
records in the late '60s and '70s, arguably his most profound sides are
included here. We Free Kings, Domino, Reeds and Deeds, Gifts and
Messages, I Talk with the Spirits and Rip, Rig & Panic are offered
in their entirety. Undoubtedly the centerpiece of Kirk's work for the
label is the live Kirk in Copenhagen, which features some wicked harp
blowing from blues legend "Sonny Boy" Williamson, aka Big Skol. It is
only fitting that this album benefits so greatly from inclusion on this
set. The original six sides have been supplemented with an additional
ten to present the entire October '63 performance, now complete at an
hour and 45 minutes. Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings if Roland
Kirk is complimented visually with a 56-page information packed booklet
that includes: complete discographical and recording session logs, as
well individual essays for each disc. Although not for the light of
funds, this is truly the best way to become immersed in these early
works of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
Disc 1:
1 Blues for Alice [alternate take] Parker 5:14
2 Blues for Alice Parker 4:09
3 My Delight Kirk 4:30
4 The Haunted Melody Kirk 3:40
5 A Sack Full of Soul Kirk 4:40
6 We Free Kings Kirk 4:48
7 Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year Loesser 4:08
8 Moon Song Coslow, Johnston 4:23
9 Some Kind of Love Kirk 6:12
10 Three for the Festival Kirk 3:10
11 You Did It, You Did It Kirk 2:27
Disc 2:
12 Get Out of Town Porter 4:53
13 Rolando Kirk 3:49
14 I Believe in You Loesser 4:29
15 Where Monk and Mingus Live/Let's Call This Kirk, Monk 4:10
16 Domino Ferrari, Plante, Raye 4:07
17 E.D. Kirk 2:25
18 I Didn't Know What Time It Was Hart, Rodgers 2:19
19 Someone to Watch over Me Gershwin, Gershwin 3:45
20 Termini's Corner [#] Kirk 2:21
21 When the Sun Comes Out [#] Arlen, Koehler 2:45
22 Ad Lib (Hip Chops) [#] Kirk 0:27
23 Stitt's Tune Stitt 9:59
24 I See With My Third "I" Kirk 9:33
25 Medley: If I Had You/Alone Together/For Heaven's Sake Cambell, Connelly, Dietz ... 7:32
26 Afternoon in Paris Lewis 5:52
27 Lady "E" Kirk 3:20
Disc 3:
28 Meeting on Termini's Corner Kirk 3:40
29 Domino Ferrari, Plante, Raye 3:14
30 Time Powell 3:13
31 3-In-1 Without the Oil Kirk 2:35
32 A Stritch in Time Kirk 5:06
33 Lament Johnson 3:39
34 A Breath in the Wind Kirk 5:09
35 Land of Peace Feather 5:54
36 Lonesome August Child Kirk 4:36
37 Limbo Boat Kirk 3:02
38 Hay Ro Kirk 3:04
39 Waltz of the Friends Kirk 4:39
Disc 4:
40 This Is Always Gordon, Warren 4:20
41 Reeds and Deeds Kirk 5:20
42 Song of the Countrymen Kirk 6:56
43 Ecclusiastics Mingus 4:30
44 By Myself Dietz, Schwartz 4:23
45 Roland Speaks Golson, Kirk 3:07
46 A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square Maschwitz, Sherwin 5:16
47 Variations on a Theme of Hindemith Kirk 3:30
48 I've Got Your Number Coleman, Leigh 5:58
49 Between the Fourth and the Fifth Step Kirk 3:43
50 April Morning Kirk 3:45
51 Get in the Basement Kirk 4:06
52 Abstract Improvisation Kirk 1:58
Disc 5:
53 Narrow Bolero [#] Kirk 8:25
54 Narrow Bolero Kirk 6:43
55 My Heart Stood Still [#] Hart, Rodgers 5:50
56 No Title, No. 1 5:56
57 Mood Indigo [#] Bigard, Ellington, Mills 7:14
58 Cabin in the Sky Duke, Latouche 7:47
59 On the Corner of King and Scott Streets Kirk 4:41
60 Untitled Blues [#] Kirk 6:17
Disc 6:
61 The Monkey Thing Kirk 5:56
62 Will You Still Be Mine? [#] Adair, Dennis 8:40
63 One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) [#] Arlen, Mercer 3:54
64 We'll Be Together Again [#] Fischer, Laine 5:21
65 Mingus-Griff Song Kirk 8:38
66 Mood Indigo Bigard, Ellington, Mills 6:52
67 Medley: Rock-A-Bye Baby/Nearness of You/No Title No. 3 [#] Carmichael, Washington 12:35
68 Half a Triple [#] Kirk 4:53
Disc 7:
69 Japan [#] 3:05
70 Japan [#] 3:10
71 Japan [#] 3:08
72 Berkshire Blues Weston 2:48
73 Dirty Money Blues 3:44
74 Dirty Money Blues [#] 3:45
75 Ad Lib (Hip Chops) [#] Kirk 3:09
76 The Things I Love Barlow, Harris 3:15
77 Petite Fleur Bechet 3:13
78 March on, Swan Lake Kirk 4:00
79 Tears Sent by You Fleming 6:01
80 My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice Saint-Saens 3:24
81 Gifts and Messages Kirk 4:08
82 Hip Chops Kirk 3:35
83 Blues for C & T Kirk 3:08
84 Where Does the Blame Lie Kirk 2:52
85 Vertigo Ro Kirk 4:08
86 Jive Elephant [#] Kirk 2:55
Disc 8:
87 I Talk With the Spirits Kirk 3:57
88 Serenade to a Cuckoo Kirk 4:35
89 Medley: We'll Be Together Again/People from "Funny Girl" Fisher, Laine, Merrill, Styne 4:42
90 Ruined Castles Taki 1:19
91 Trees Kirk 6:23
92 Fugue'n and Alludin' Kirk 0:44
93 Django Lewis 4:51
94 My Ship Gershwin, Weill 5:06
95 A Quote from Clifford Brown Kirk 4:26
96 The Business Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Kirk 5:02
Disc 9:
97 No Tonic Press Kirk 4:35
98 From Bechet, Byas and Fats Kirk 6:32
99 Slippery, Hippery, Flippery Kirk 4:58
100 Black Diamond Sealey 5:24
101 Rip, Rig and Panic Kirk 7:01
102 Once in a While Edwards, Green 4:02
103 Mystical Dream Kirk 2:40
104 Walk on By Bacharach, David 2:35
105 Juarez Kirk 5:28
106 Shaky Money Kirk 2:40
107 Ebrauqs Kirk 8:27
108 Raouf Kirk 3:10
109 Nothing But the Truth Kirk 3:39
110 Safari Mathias 4:33
111 It's All in the Game Dawes, Sigman 5:24
112 And I Love Her Lennon, McCartney 3:03
Disc 10:
113 A Taste of Honey Marlow, Scott 2:37
114 Dyna-Soar [#] Kirk 2:38
115 Soul Bossa Nova Jones 2:49
116 Comin' Home Baby Dorough, Tucker 2:47
117 Days of Wine and Roses Mancini, Mercer 2:48
118 Moon River Mancini, Mercer 2:37
119 Dreamsville Evans, Livingston, Mancini 3:53
120 (I Love You and) Don't You Forget It Mancini, Stillman 2:56
121 Charade Mancini, Mercer 3:18
122 Peter Gunn Theme Mancini 3:01
123 I Had a Ball Freeman, Lawrence 5:06
124 Addie's at It Again Freeman, Lawrence 5:05
