RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who believed Bright Moments was "it" when it came to Rahsaan Roland Kirk live recordings -- meaning that Joel Dorn's various live Kirk packages have been substandard in comparison, though not without considerable interest -- Christmas came early in 2003. Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom is a performance of the Roland Kirk band on the final night of a western tour, recorded in November of 1974 in San Diego. Even though this has been released on Dorn's Hyena Records label, which has put out some dodgy stuff in the past -- including the infamously substandard Man Who Cried Fire -- this performance is excellent. It was recorded just a couple of weeks after the sets that became Bright Moments. The band is Kirk, Hilton Ruiz on piano, Henry Pearson on bass, drummer John Goldsmith and a percussionist dubbed "Samson Verge."

The set starts out with a smoking, completely in your face, blowing version of McCoy Tyner's "Passion Dance." It's all fire as Kirk takes the stage and goes head to head with Ruiz. But just as quickly, the band drifts with very little pause into an absolutely heartbreaking rendition of "My One and Only Love," until Kirk begins his unaccompanied circular breathing solo that nonetheless stays in the same harmonic range as the main body of the tune -- and the solo is glorious. He talks of bringing "bright moments, and we bring you 'miraclized music'," the great tenderness and brilliance of the man and artist is borne out in what follows. Jumping directly into "Fly Town Nose Blues," on which he jams on the nose flute, Kirk moves through the history of the evolution of blues with a funky Latin backbeat. From there the recording moves into "Volunteered Slavery" and another monologue, and then to a pair of excerpts from "Old Rugged Cross" and "Bright Moments," before the most amazing rendition of blacknuss ever released to the public. The musical part of the set closes with "Freaks for the Festival," with unbelievable left-hand work by Ruiz. This is groove jazz from outer space, and should have been playing in the barroom scene in the very first Star Wars movie. Kirk sends it out by saying he is not afraid of death, he is ready to die (how manhy of us can say that) -- "Bring it on," bring it on" he says. The last sound one on the record is hears is his laughter. While the sound on this date is not pristine by any means, it nonetheless captures all the magic and mystery of the man himself. Essential.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Passion Dance 4:41
Composed By – McCoy Tyner
2    My One And Only Love 9:44
Composed By – Guy Wood, Robert Mellin
3    Rahspeak #1    1:58
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
4    Fly Town Nose Blues    5:50
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
5    Volunteered Slavery    7:16
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
6    Rahspeak #2    1:30
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7    Bright Moments (Excerpt)    7:46
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
8    Old Rugged Cross (Excerpt)    3:54
 Traditional
9    Blacknuss    4:52
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
10    Freaks For The Festival    3:52
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
11    Rahspeak #3    0:18
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Bass – Henry Pearson
Drums – John Goldsmith
Percussion – Samson Verge
Piano – Hilton Ruiz
Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Manzello], Flute, Nose Flute, Siren, Whistle, Composed By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Notas.
Recorded "live" at the Backdoor, San Diego State University, CA, November 5, 1974.

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - Brotherman in the Fatherland (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's very tempting to go off on Joel Dorn for his decision to call a Rahsaan Roland Kirk record recorded live in Germany Brotherman in the Fatherland. Dorn's had questionable taste about all kinds of things since he began running record labels that have had numerous names attached to them -- Kirk's music is not one of them. This gig, recorded in 1972, is one of those seemingly out-of-nowhere moments when Kirk, struggling to make a living, took it to the audience full-force. He was accompanied on this tour by longtime pianist Ron Burton, bassist Henry Pearson, drummer Richie Goldberg (who did a long stint with Ray Charles) and Joe Texudor on assorted percussion. The program is pure magic: from "Like Sony" to a bad-ass reworking of the insipid Bread tune "Make It with You," that Kirk turns into pure outre blues soul-jazz, and that's just the beginning. "Rahsaan's Spirit" is the place where Kirk spins off into his own universe with the band -- Burton's solo here is particularly telling as the members all solo. Kirk brings it back to a deeply soulful read of "My Girl" with a piano intro that sounds a lot like Roy Bittan's from Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road," but it was a couple of years ahead of that milestone. Kirk's nose flute hints the melody line before his flute takes over and runs the melody down to its root; he plays them simultaneously and even vocalizes, à la Charles. The swinging Ramsey Lewis-styled soul riffing gives the audience something else to hold onto before the doors come off with "Seasons/Serenade to a Cuckoo" that digs even deeper as it streams into "Pedals Up," a musically tender reading of "Lush Life," before it all melts down into Coltrane's "Afro Blue" with Kirk on all horns peeling the paint; there's only a brief respite before it goes all the way into jazz heaven with a deeply swinging, blues-drenched crazyland reading of "Blue Trane." Like his best live outings -- this one doesn't have the same sound quality as Bright Moments -- this one is simply astonishing in its intensity, soul, and acumen. One can only wonder when hearing the polite applause at the end of the gig (instead of the justifiable shouting and screaming that should've been there) if the German crowd were just blown away, or confused. Listeners, too, may wonder if they can believe what has just transpired in the space of an hour. They can. Dorn may be on the questionable side in naming this recording, but he's to be thanked for issuing it.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Intro / Like Sonny 8:34
Written-By – John Coltrane
2    Make It With You 5:39
Written-By – David Gates
3    Rahsaan's Spirit    7:05
4    My Girl 5:15
Written-By – Ronald White, Smokey Robinson
5    Seasons / Serenade To A Cuckoo 6:54
Written-By – Roland Kirk
6    Pedal Up    10:21
7    Lush Life 3:12
Written-By – Billy Strayhorn
8    Afro Blue 4:04
Arranged By – John Coltrane
Composed By – Mongo Santamaria
9    Blue Train 17:31
Written-By – John Coltrane
Credits :
Double Bass – Henry Pete Pearson "Mettathias"
Drums – Richie Goldberg
Ensemble – Rahsaan Roland Kirk & The Vibration Society
Percussion – Joe "Habao" Texidor
Piano – Ron Burton
Saxophone [Tenor, Manzello, Stritch], Flute, Flute [Nose], Clarinet – Rahsaan Roland Kirk