Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Yesterdays
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Making Love After Hours
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Here Comes The Whistleman
Started off the month of August on the good foot, with multiple posts thus far in this first week, and hope I’ll finally be able to get back into a routine rhythm sharing things, but…If there’s one day of the year you are guaranteed to get a post here on Melting Pot, it is today, August 7th, the birthday of our patron saint, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Kirk’s recorded output was so extensive and so consistently good, that there will probably be a few records that we don’t even get to before this blog’s days are done. But, I was surprised that I hadn’t already shared this album previously. “Here Comes The Whistleman” was Rahsaan’s debut on Atlantic. You’ll notice on the cover that “Live” is in quotes, and that was to distinguish the record from a proper live concert, at a proper venue, when this was essentially a private concert at the Atlantic Records HQ with a select few lucky souls who were there to bear witness.
And though it is a relatively short album, it does still showcase all of the things that made Rahsaan such a beloved musician. More than the virtuostic playing, it’s the joy, especially the joy at doing new things and creating new sounds. Whether in terms of what I think is Rahsaan singing through his flute or sax on “Yesterdays,” the combination of what almost sounds like a mix of “The In-Crowd” and “I’m Comin’ Home Baby Now,” on “Making Love After Hours,” or the complete reckless abandonment that marks “Here Comes The Whistleman,” where Rahsaan gave those assembled all manner of noisemakers and whistles so they could join in and make a joyful noise together. Even Rahsaan’s sense of humor is here, such as when he jokes with long time producer Joel Dorn (though here, essentially their first work together) that he wouldn’t have got caught in turnpike traffic if he had left Rahsaan, who was blind, drive.
What a joy it is to have music from someone so special. I think the liner notes, written by Del Shields, really hit the spot in describing how special Rahsaan was:
“To know the man is to know his music. He is fantastic, not because he is blind, but because he is a beautiful human being. He is gifted with enormous talent and finds the crying need to search, probe, experiment and make music. At last count he has mastered 45 instruments. Music is his life, and life is his music. When the critics stop being amazed and weigh his accomplishments objectively, they will admit that Roland Kirk is indeed one of the geniuses of our time.”
Peace & Bright Moments y’all,
Michael