Geoffrey Stephen Kirk DSC, FBA (3 December 1921 – 10 March 2003) was a British classical scholar, known for his books on Ancient Greek literature and mythology.

Life[link]

Early Life[link]

Kirk was born and grew up in Knottingham^[1], the son of Frederick Kirk, MC.^[2] Kirk was educated at Rossall School and Clare College, Cambridge. His time at Cambridge was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II; Kirk joined the Royal Navy in 1941 and was commissioned as an officer one year later.^[2]

Military Service[link]

Kirk spent much of his service with the Levant Schooner Flotilla in the Aegean Sea,^[2] which included both schooners and caïques engaged in irregular operations supporting Allied special forces.^[3] Kirk fought on many Greek Islands and along a wide swath of the Turkish coast, engaged in operations at Tekegas Barnu, Didyma, Icaria and Andros.^[2] He was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in 1945; after the war Kirk returned to Cambridge and graduated in 1946.^[1][2]

Academic Career[link]

Kirk was awarded a research fellowship at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, later becoming a lecturer and Reader at Cambridge. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1959 and served as its vice-president in 1972-3.^[4] Recognized as an acclaimed scholar worldwide, Kirk also held positions at Yale and Harvard within the United States.^[2] He became the 35th Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge in 1974, retiring there in 1982.

Later Life[link]

Following his retirement Kirk produced a six-volume commentary on the Illiad,^[1] and updated his book "The Presocratic Philosophers" with J. E. Raven and M. Schofield.

Kirk married Barbara Traill in 1950, with whom he had a daughter, Lydia. In 1975 and he married Kirsten Ricks. He was supported by Lydia and his four stepdaughters through ill health before his death in 2003.^[1]

Works[link]

• Heraclitus, The Cosmic Fragments (1954)
• The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical History with a Selection of Texts (1957) with J. E. Raven; a revised 2nd edition was published in 1983 with the help of Malcolm Schofield.
• The Songs of Homer (1962) later edited as Homer and the Epic (1965)
• The Language and Background of Homer - Some Recent Studies and Controversies (1964) editor
• Myth: Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures (1970)
• The Nature of Greek Myths (1974)
• Homer and the Oral Tradition (1976)
• Archilochos (1977) with Michael Ayrton
• The Iliad: A Commentary (1985-93) six volumes, editor

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Daily Telegraph obituary
• Obituary in The Guardian

G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello, Breitkopf & Härtel, Sikorski and many Russian and former Soviet composers' catalogs.^[1]

History[link]

A Schirmer cover page of several of Bériot's works.

The company was founded in 1861 in the United States by German-born Gustav Schirmer, Sr. (1829-1893), the son of a German immigrant.^[2] In 1891, the company established its own engraving and printing plant. The next year it inaugurated the Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics. The Musical Quarterly, the oldest academic journal on music in the U.S.,^{[citation needed]} was founded by Schirmer in 1915 together with musicologist Oscar Sonneck, who edited the journal until his death in 1928. In 1964, Schirmer acquired Associated Music Publishers (BMI) which had built up an important catalog of American composers including Elliott Carter, Henry Cowell, Roy Harris, Charles Ives, Walter Piston, and William Schuman, adding to a Schirmer's ASCAP roster which had already included Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Morton Gould, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Virgil Thomson, as well as composers from the earlier part of the century such as Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Charles Martin Loeffler, John Alden Carpenter, and Percy Grainger.

The company was owned by the Schirmer family for over 100 years until Macmillan, a major book publisher, purchased it in 1968. Macmillan then sold G. Schirmer (except for its reference division, now part of Gale) to its current owner, Robert Wise, in 1986, the owner of popular music publisher, Music Sales, Inc. According to a spokesman, the purchase price was around USD $7 million.^[1]

As the sale of Schirmer did not include The Musical Quarterly, the future of the journal remained uncertain until its transition in 1989 to publisher Oxford University Press. In 1986 Schirmer also joined with the Hal Leonard Corporation, a print distributor of jazz and popular music, who became the sole distributors of Schirmer's printed music. The last member of the family named for the founder was Gus Schirmer the 4th, a theatrical director, producer, and agent, who died in 1992 at the age of 73.^[3]

Composers published by the company[link]

The Schirmer/AMP catalog includes American composers such as John Corigliano, Richard Danielpour, Avner Dorman, Gabriela Lena Frank, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Leon Kirchner, Peter Lieberson, André Previn, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun, and Joan Tower.

The company also publishes The G. Schirmer Manual of Style and Usage. G. Schirmer is a member of the Music Sales Group of Companies, the Music Publishers Association, the National Music Publishers Association, and the Church Music Publishers Association.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Schirmer.com, Home page
• ArtistsHouseMusic.org, Interview with Peggy Monastra on G. Schirmer Music Publishers

The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from 3 stage shows and a 6-episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three and 2 live tours of the UK, as well as 2 live shows in the United States.

History[link]

Fielding first met Barratt after seeing him perform his solo stand-up routine at the Hellfire Comedy Club in the Wycombe Swan Theatre.^[1] The pair soon found that they shared comic interests, formed a double act, and "decided to be the new Goodies".^[2] After their first performance together at a bar in London in April 1998, Barratt and Fielding developed their zookeeper characters--Howard Moon and Vince Noir, respectively--in a series of sketches for Paramount Comedy’s Unnatural Acts. Here they also met American Rich Fulcher, who became Bob Fossil. Fielding’s friend Dave Brown and Fielding's brother Michael also became regular collaborators. Richard Ayoade was another original cast member, playing adventurer Dixon Bainbridge, but Matt Berry replaced him in the first television series, since Ayoade was under contract with Channel 4.^[3] Ayoade returned in the second and third series as a belligerent shaman named Saboo.

According to Michael Fielding, the name "Mighty Boosh" was originally a phrase used by a Spanish friend to describe the curly hair that Michael had as a child.^[4]

The Boosh produced 3 stage shows--The Mighty Boosh (1998), Arctic Boosh (1999) and Autoboosh (2000)--all of which were taken to the Edinburgh Fringe. With the success of Autoboosh, a radio series was commissioned by the BBC. Produced by Danny Wallace, The Boosh was first broadcast in 2001 on BBC London Live, later transferring to BBC Radio 4, from which the team were given a half-hour television pilot of the same name.

The first 8-part series, directed by Paul King, was then commissioned for BBC Three and broadcast in 2004, with a second of 6 episodes the next year. The second series moved away from the zoo setting to show Howard, Vince, Naboo the shaman and Bollo the talking ape living in a flat in Dalston.^[5] In 2006, the Boosh returned to theatre with The Mighty Boosh Live, which featured a new story entitled "The Ruby of Kukundu".

After two years away from television, the Boosh returned in November 2007. Set in Naboo’s second-hand shop below the flat, the third series drew approximately 1 million viewers with its first episode,^[6] and in light of its success, BBC Three broadcast an entire night of The Mighty Boosh on 22 March 2008, which included a new documentary and 6 of Barratt and Fielding's favourite episodes from all 3 series.

Main Cast[link]

• Julian Barratt as Howard Moon
• Noel Fielding as Vince Noir
• Michael Fielding as Naboo
• Dave Brown as Bollo
• Rich Fulcher as Bob Fossil

Note: The cast members also play smaller roles throughout the series, the roles listed above are their most frequently appearing characters. For a full list of characters, see the List of The Mighty Boosh characters.

Theatre[link]

Original stage shows[link]

[edit] The Mighty Boosh (1998)

The Boosh, then consisting of only Barratt and Fielding, conceived The Mighty Boosh whilst working on Stewart Lee's Edinburgh Festival show King Dong vs. Moby Dick in which they played a giant penis and a whale respectively.

In 1998, they took The Mighty Boosh to the Edinburgh Festival, recruiting fellow comedian Rich Fulcher, whom the pair had met while working on Unnatural Acts. The show won the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer. During their residency at North London's Hen and Chickens Theatre the following year, they built up a cult following, introducing new characters whilst developing old ones.

[edit] Arctic Boosh (1999)

In 1999, the Boosh returned to the Edinburgh Festival with a new show, Arctic Boosh, with Dave Brown acting as choreographer and photographer, as well as playing a variety of characters. Arctic Boosh sold out every night and was nominated for the Perrier Award.

[edit] Autoboosh (2000)

In 2000, the Boosh premiered their third stage show, Autoboosh, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, adding Fielding's younger brother Michael to the cast. Autoboosh won the festival's Barry Award.

Nationwide tours[link]

[edit] The Mighty Boosh Live (2006)

The Boosh returned to the stage in 2006, touring the UK for the first time. Though drawing heavily from their earlier material, the main story combined these elements into a new narrative. A recording of this show at the Brixton Academy was later released on DVD, before being broadcast on BBC Three on Boxing Day, 2007.

[edit] Boosh Live: Future Sailors Tour (2008/09)

The Boosh toured the UK and Ireland for a second time from September 2008 to February 2009. The show featured characters from all three series as well as the Boosh Band.

They made appearances throughout the UK after their live shows, at after-parties held in different places in each city. The events were called "Outrage", after the catchphrase by Tony Harrison.

Radio[link]

[edit] The Boosh (2001)

From the success of Autoboosh, the BBC commissioned a 6-part radio series for the Boosh. In October 2001 The Boosh radio series, produced by Danny Wallace, was broadcast on BBC London Live, then BBC Radio 4, and later on BBC 7. The show focuses on the adventures of a pair of zookeepers at "Bob Fossil's Funworld": socially awkward, jazz enthusiast Howard TJ Moon, and ultra-vain, fashion-obsessed Vince Noir. This also included voices from Lee Mack also, playing such characters as the Plumber or the Gardener.

Further appearances[link]

The Mighty Boosh returned to radio on 22 October 2004, in a one-off comedy special for The Breezeblock, a show on BBC Radio 1.^[7] Instead of the plot driven nature of their own series, this show featured improvised conversational comedy with Barratt, Fielding and Fulcher, combined with the show's usual mix of electronic music.

On 15 November 2007, as part of the publicity for the premier of their third series the same day, Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding returned to Radio 1, this time on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge.^[8]

Television[link]

[edit] The Mighty Boosh (2004–07)

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

In May 2004, after the success of a Boosh pilot, Steve Coogan's company, Baby Cow Productions, produced the first television series of The Mighty Boosh for BBC Three, before it moved to BBC Two in November that same year. Though each episode invariably starts and ends in Dixon Bainbridge’s dilapidated zoo, the "Zooniverse", the characters of Vince and Howard often depart for other locations, such as the Arctic tundra and limbo.

A second series, shown in July 2005, saw Howard and Vince sharing Naboo's flat in Dalston with previously minor characters Naboo and his familiar, Bollo, a gorilla living at the "Zooniverse". This series had an even looser setting as the 4 characters leave the confines of the flat in every episode, travelling in their van to a variety of surrealistic environments, including Naboo's home planet "Xooberon".

Series three started in November 2007, still set in Dalston, but this time the foursome are selling 'Bits & Bobs' in their shop, the Nabootique. Their adventures and outings in this series focused more on the involvement of new characters (e.g. Sammy the Crab, or Lester Corncrake etc.) rather than just the two of them.

Although BBC America originally aired only series 1 in the U.S (all episodes in their entirety), The Mighty Boosh began airing in North America on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block (with up to 6 minutes cut from each episode), starting 29 March 2009 with the third series.^[9]

[edit] The Mighty Boosh Night

On 22 March 2008, BBC Three broadcast a whole night of The Mighty Boosh from 9.05 pm, starting with a new documentary entitled The Mighty Boosh: A Journey Through Time and Space, documenting the history of the Boosh from their first amateur performances to their then-upcoming 2008 tour. This was followed by six of Barratt and Fielding's favourite episodes from the three series: "Party", "The Power of the Crimp", "The Nightmare of Milky Joe", "The Priest and the Beast", "The Legend of Old Gregg", and "Tundra". The pair also appeared in live links throughout the night, in a similar style to the openings of Series 1 episodes. On 23 December 2008, BBC3 held a Merry Booshmas Party featuring the entire series 3 as well as a broadcast of The Mighty Boosh Live.^[10]

Film[link]

On 8 February 2012, Noel Fielding said that he and Barratt had discussed plans to make a Mighty Boosh film, whilst sledging.^[11]

Festival[link]

On 5 July 2008, the Boosh held their own festival in the Hop Farm in Kent. It featured musical acts, Robots in Disguise, The Charlatans, The Kills, Gary Numan, and The Mighty Boosh Band, as well as comedy acts Frankie Boyle and Ross Noble.

Media[link]

Audio CDs[link]

According to an official MySpace page for PieFace Records (the fictitious music label mentioned throughout the series), Barratt and Fielding are to release an album of music from the show, "along with extras, versions, remixes and rare unreleased stuff all to be released later in the year on their own label--this one".^[12] In interviews since, The Mighty Boosh have confirmed they will be releasing an album of their music.^[13] On the 21 October^[when?] episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Fielding stated that the Boosh have recorded an album, but don't know when it will be released.

DVDs[link]

Previously most of the DVDs were only released in Region 2 but as a result of a growing fan base in the U.S., the BBC rereleased in Region 1, Series 1-3 individually on 21 July 2009,^[14][15] and a Special Edition Series 1-3 Boxset on 13 October 2009.^[16]

Australian releases[link]

• Series One - 11 April 2007
• Series Two - 12 April 2007
• Series Three - 6 August 2008
• Live - 3 December 2008
• Special Edition - 6 August 2009
• Future Sailors Tour - 10 November 2009
• Series One: Episodes 1-3 (Comedy Bites) - 4 March 2010

Books[link]

On 18 September 2008, Canongate Books published The Mighty Book of Boosh, designed and compiled by Dave Brown and written by Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown, Richard Ayoade and Michael Fielding. The book includes original stories, crimps, concept art, behind-the-scenes photography, comics, and various other things, featuring old and new Mighty Boosh characters. On 1 October 2009, a paperback version was released under the name The Pocket Book of Boosh.

Awards[link]

Particularly popular among followers of the indie and electro music genres which the NME magazine caters to, The Mighty Boosh has been recipient of the Shockwaves NME Awards Best TV Show for three consecutive years, even though there were no new episodes broadcast for the latter two of the three years.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Mighty Boosh

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• The Mighty Boosh official site
• BBC Mighty Boosh Mighty Boosh on bbc.co.uk
• UKTV Mighty Boosh Mighty Boosh on UKtv.co.uk
• The Mighty Boosh at the Internet Movie Database

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Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Theodore Kirk
Born	(1935-08-07)August 7, 1935 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Died	December 5, 1977(1977-12-05) (aged 42)
Genres	Jazz Hard-bop[1] Soul jazz[1] Post-bop[1] Avant-garde jazz[1] Mainstream jazz[1]
Occupations	Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader
Instruments	Tenor saxophone, clarinet, stritch, manzello, flute
Years active	1955–1977
Labels	King, Chess, Prestige, Mercury, Limelight, Verve, Atlantic, Warner Bros
Website	http://www.alfanet.hu/kirk/index2.html

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1935^[2] – December 5, 1977) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the ability to play several instruments simultaneously.

Biography[link]

Kirk was born Ronald Theodore Kirk^[2] in Columbus, Ohio, but felt compelled by a dream to transpose two letters in his first name to make Roland. He became blind at an early age as a result of poor medical treatment. In 1970, Kirk added "Rahsaan" to his name after hearing it in a dream.

Preferring to lead his own bands, Kirk rarely performed as a sideman, although he did record with arranger Quincy Jones and drummer Roy Haynes and had notable stints with bassist Charles Mingus. One of his best-known recorded performances is the lead flute and solo on Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", a 1964 hit song repopularized in the Austin Powers films (Jones 1964; McLeod et al. 1997).

His playing was generally rooted in soul jazz or hard bop, but Kirk's knowledge of jazz history allowed him to draw on many elements of the music's past, from ragtime to swing and free jazz. Kirk also absorbed classical influences, and his artistry reflected elements of pop music by composers such as Smokey Robinson and Burt Bacharach, as well as Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and other jazz musicians. The live album Bright Moments (1973) is an example of one of his shows. His main instrument was the tenor saxophone, supplemented by other saxes, and contrasted with the lighter sound of the flute. At times he would play a number of these horns at once, harmonizing with himself, or sustain a note for lengthy durations by using circular breathing, or play the rare, seldom heard nose flute. A number of his instruments were exotic or homemade, but even while playing two or three saxophones at once, the music was intricate, powerful jazz with a strong feel for the blues.

Kirk was politically outspoken. During his concerts, between songs he often talked about topical issues, including black history and the civil rights movement. His monologues were often laced with satire and absurdist humor.

In 1975, Kirk suffered a major stroke which led to partial paralysis of one side of his body. However, he continued to perform and record, modifying his instruments to enable him to play with one arm. At a live performance at Ronnie Scott's club in London he even managed to play two instruments, and carried on to tour internationally and even appear on television.

He died from a second stroke in 1977 after performing in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana University Student Union in Bloomington, Indiana.

Instruments and technique[link]

Kirk played and collected a number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone and two obscure saxophones: the stritch (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's characteristic upturned bell) and a manzello (a modified saxello soprano sax, with a larger, upturned bell). Kirk modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique.

He typically appeared on stage with all three horns hanging around his neck, as well as a variety of other instruments, including flutes and whistles, and often kept a gong within reach. Kirk also played clarinet, harmonica, English horn, and recorders, and was a competent trumpeter. He often had unique approaches, using a saxophone mouthpiece on a trumpet or playing nose flute. He additionally used many non-musical devices, such as alarm clocks, sirens, or a section of common garden hose (dubbed "the black mystery pipes"). His studio recordings also used tape-manipulated musique concrète, and primitive electronic sounds (before such things became commonplace).

Listen to this audio clip · (info)

Rahsaan simultaneously playing flute and singing, punctuated with a siren whistle. (audio help)

Listen to this audio clip · (info)

Rahsaan playing black mystery pipes. (audio help)

Listen to this audio clip · (info)

Rahsaan simultaneously playing multiple saxophones. (audio help)

Kirk was also an influential flautist, employing several techniques that he developed himself. One technique was to sing or hum into the flute at the same time as playing. Another was to play the standard transverse flute at the same time as a nose flute.

Some observers thought that Kirk's bizarre onstage appearance and simultaneous multi-instrumentalism were just gimmicks, especially when coming from a blind man, but these opinions usually vanished when Kirk began to play. He used the multiple horns to play true chords, essentially functioning as a one-man saxophone section. Kirk insisted that he was only trying to emulate the sounds he heard in his head.

Kirk was a major exponent of circular breathing. Using this technique, Kirk was not only able to sustain a single note for an extended period; he could also play sixteenth-note runs of almost unlimited length, and at high speeds. His circular breathing ability enabled him to record "Concerto For Saxophone" on the Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle LP in one continuous take of about 20 minutes' playing with no discernible "break" for inhaling. His long-time producer at Atlantic Jazz, Joel Dorn, believed he should have received credit in The Guinness Book of World Records for such feats (he was capable of playing continuously "without taking a breath" for far longer than exhibited on that LP), but this never happened.

The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color was a unique album in jazz and popular music recorded annals. It was a two-LP set, with Side 4 apparently "blank," the label not indicating any content. However, once word of "the secret message" got around among Rahsaan's fans, one would find that about 12 minutes into Side 4 appeared the first of two telephone answering machine messages recorded by Kirk, the second following soon thereafter (but separated by more blank grooves). The surprise impact of these segments appearing on "blank" Side 4 was lost on the CD reissue of this album. These spoken-word segments reflected the tenor of the times, so to speak, with the rather pessimistic theme that humanity had "blown" its chance to live in a world of peace and harmony. But this was entirely in keeping with the fact that, despite his loss at an early age of his sight, Rahsaan was very much on top of societal developments, racial and economic injustice and disparity. Indeed, he had participated many years previously in protests against the failure of TV show hosts like Merv Griffin to hire any non-white musicians.

He gleaned information on what was happening in the world via audio media like radio and the sounds coming from TV sets. His later recordings often incorporated his spoken commentaries on current events, including Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal. The 3-Sided Dream album was a 'concept album', somewhat akin to the Beatles' 'psychedelic' phase in the incorporation of "found" or environmental sounds and tape loops, tapes being played backwards, etc. Snippets of Billie Holiday singing are also heard briefly. The album even confronts the rise of influence of computers in society, as Rahsaan threatens to pull the plug on the machine trying to tell him what to do.

Legacy and influence[link]

• Virtuoso guitarist Jimi Hendrix "idolized" Kirk, and even hoped to one day collaborate with him.^[3]
• Trombonist Steve Turre was strongly influenced by Kirk's music (and by his use of a conch shell as a second instrument).^{[citation needed]}
• Kirk's technique of humming while playing the flute was adopted later by many other players, including Dave Valentín, Jeremy Steig, Thijs van Leer and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (who covered the Kirk tune "Serenade to a Cuckoo" on Jethro Tull's first album This Was in 1968).
• David Jackson, of Van der Graaf Generator, was also highly influenced by the style and technique of Kirk, and he plays multiple saxophones simultaneously since at least 1969.^[4]
• Eric Burdon and War's debut 1970 release Eric Burdon Declares War has a track on it entitled "Roll On Kirk", which is a tribute to Kirk.
• British reed player Dick Heckstall-Smith also emulated Kirk in playing multiple saxophones simultaneously.
• Courtney Pine, a saxophonist from the UK, also uses circular breathing and plays two saxophones at once in live performance.^{[citation needed]}
• Jeff Coffin, solo artist and member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (from 1988 on), plays multiple saxophones simultaneously.
• Thurston Moore wore a Rahsaan Roland Kirk t-shirt for a promo shoot for Sonic Youth's album Goo (1990).^[5]
• Hope Clayburn, one-time lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for funky band Deep Banana Blackout, was frequently known to hum and play flute and to sing while playing multiple saxophones at the same time, teasing common themes and soul standards.^{[citation needed]}
• Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Radiohead, acknowledged his respect and love for Kirk's music on the band's blog.^{[citation needed]}
• Drummer Ramon Lopez paid tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk in his 2002 album Duets 2 Rahsaan Roland Kirk, inviting nine differents artists (Joëlle Léandre, Thierry Madiot, Harry Beckett, Majid Bekkas, Beñat Achiary...) for nine duets on nine compositions of Kirk's.
• Guitarist Michael Angelo Batio mentioned in an interview with Ultimate Guitar Archive that Kirk's playing of two saxophones at once inspired him to create his "double guitar".^[6]
• T.J. Kirk was a San Francisco-based band named after the three artists it tributed: Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Formed by eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter as a side group to his own self-titled and San Francisco-based band, other members include Scott Amendola, Will Bernard and John Schott.^[7]
• Paul Weller cited the Kirk album I Talk with the Spirits (1964) as one of his 'Most Influential Albums' in an interview with The Times.^[8]
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk is the namesake of jazz artists Roland and Rahsaan Barber, brothers who play trombone and saxophone respectively.

Discography[link]

As leader[link]

King Records

• 1956 - Triple Threat

Argo/Cadet/Chess Records

• 1960 - Introducing Roland Kirk

Prestige Records

• 1961 - Kirk's Work - with Jack McDuff on organ

Mercury Records

• 1961 - We Free Kings - with Richard Wyands on piano
• 1962 - Domino
• 1963 - Reeds & Deeds
• 1964 - The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra
• 1964 - Kirk in Copenhagen
• 1964 - Gifts & Messages

Limelight Records

• 1964 - I Talk with the Spirits - album of Kirk playing the flute
• 1965 - Slightly Latin
• 1965 - Rip, Rig and Panic - fast bop with Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and drummer Elvin Jones

Verve Records

• 1967 - Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith

Atlantic Records

• 1965 - Here Comes the Whistleman (Live) - including all Kirk's banter between tracks
• 1967 - The Inflated Tear
• 1968 - Left & Right
• 1969 - Volunteered Slavery - a meltdown of pop tunes, hard bop, African chanting
• 1970 - Rahsaan Rahsaan
• 1971 - Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata - mostly Kirk alone, on many instruments
• 1971 - Blacknuss
• 1972 - A Meeting of the Times w ex-Duke Ellington singer Al Hibbler
• 1973 - Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle
• 1973 - Bright Moments - live at Keystone Korner, San Francisco
• 1975 - The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color
• 1976 - Other Folks' Music

Warner Bros. Records

• 1976 - The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man
• 1977 - Kirkatron
• 1977 - Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real

Posthumous releases of new material

• I, Eye, Aye: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1972 (Rhino)
• The Man Who Cried Fire (Night)
• Dog Years in the Fourth Ring (32 Jazz)
• Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom (Hyena)
• Brotherman in the Fatherland - Recorded "Live" in Germany 1972 (Hyena)

Compilations

• Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk
• Does Your House Have Lions: The Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology
• Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve - compilation from his last three albums
• Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz
• The Art of Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• Third Dimension and Beyond combines Triple Threat and Introducing Roland Kirk
• Left Hook, Right Cross combines Volunteered Slavery and Blacknuss
• Aces Back to Back combines Left & Right, Rahsaan Rahsaan, Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle, and Other Folks' Music
• A Standing Eight combines The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man, Kirkatron and Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real
• Only The Best Of Rahsaan Roland Kirk Volume 1 combines Blacknuss, The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color, The Inflated Tear/Natural Black Inventions: Roots Strata, Kirkatron, Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real, and Other Folks' Music (7CD)

As sideman[link]

With Charles Mingus

• Oh Yeah (1962)
• Tonight at Noon (1965)
• Mingus at Carnegie Hall (1974)

With Roy Haynes

• Out of the Afternoon (1962)

With Tubby Hayes

• Tubby's Back in Town (1962)

With Quincy Jones

• Big Band Bossa Nova (1962)
• Explores Music of Henry Mancini (1964)
• Walking in Space (1969)

With Tommy Peltier

• The Jazz Corps Under the Direction of Tommy Peltier

With Jaki Byard

• The Jaki Byard Experience (1968)

With Les McCann

• Les McCann Live at Montreux (1972)

Bibliography[link]

• Jones, Quincy (Composer). (1964). Big band bossa nova [Phonograph]. Mercury. (Reissued on compact disc by Verve in 1998, 2005)
• Kruth, John: Bright Moments. The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Welcome Rain Publishers, New York 2000 ISBN 1-56649-105-3
• McLeod, Eric (Producer), & Roach, Jay (Director). (1997). Austin Powers: International man of mystery [DVD]. New Line Home Video

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roland Kirk

• the Rahsaan Roland Kirk website
• Stopping the white wash - Rahsaan Roland Kirk on TV
• Roland Kirk Discography (Jazz Discography Project)
• Sound?? film of Kirk with John Cage at UbuWeb
• Video: Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1975)
• Video: Rahsaan Roland Kirk and The Vibration Society (1972)