Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Seasons
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Saxophone Concerto
Time got away from me so this is a belated birthday post for our patron saint here at Melting Pot. Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle comes from what is clearly a favorite period of Rahsaan’s work (since the other two prior records I’ve posted here, Bright Moments and Blacknuss, are from this same time frame). The record stands in fairly stark contrast to other albums from this period of time in that there is very little soul or funk influence in the playing. “Miracle” finds Rahsaan engrossed in a very personal style that borders on what we generally describe these days as Spiritual Jazz. The album also contains two of my favorite Rahsaan compositions, though for very different reasons.
“Seasons” begins with Rahsaan playing both flute and nose flute simultaneously before moving into what I feel is one of the most lovely and meditative pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Truly gorgeous in every possible meaning of the word. A few years ago a live performance of “Seasons” was included on the highly recommended Live at Montreux video. If you never seen it before, or have never seen Rahsaan perform, you need to watch this:
“Saxophone Concerto” stands as one of the greatest compositions and bravura performances from Rahsaan. The track takes up the entire second side of the album, split into three parts, “Saxophone Miracle,” “”One Breath Beyond,” and “Dance Of Revolution,” and was recorded without a single over-dub. Additionally, Rahsaan employs his circular breathing techniques on this song, which makes it essentially a 20 minute saxophone solo. It’s perhaps Rahsaan’s most well-realized example of “Black Classical Music” and fairly stunning the first time you hear it. Proof positive that despite all of the theatrics (which personally were always necessary in connection with producing a singular sound) Rahsaan’s talents as a soloist were unparalled in the music world.
Cheers,
Michael
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