ROLAND KIRK - "Rahsaan" The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk (1990) 11xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. Lindsay Planer
All Tracks & Credits

ROLAND KIRK - Here Comes the Whistleman (1967-1998) RM | Atlantic Original Sound | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here Comes the Whistleman showcases Rahsaan Roland Kirk in 1967 with a fine band, live in front of a host of invited guests at Atlantic Studios in New York. His band for the occasion is stellar: Jacki Byard or Lonnie Smith on piano, Major Holley on bass, Lonnie Smith on piano, and Charles Crosby on drums. This is the hard, jump blues and deep R&B Roland Kirk band, and from the git, on "Roots," they show why. Kirk comes screaming out of the gate following a double time I-IV-V progression, with Holley punching the accents along the bottom and Byard shoving the hard tight chords up against Kirk's three-horn lead. The extended harmony Kirk plays -- though the melody line is a bar walking honk -- is extreme, full of piss and vinegar. On the title track, along with the artist's requisite, and genuinely good, humor, Kirk breaks out the whistles on top of the horn for a blues stomp with Smith taking over the piano chores. Smith plays a two chord vamp, changing the accent before he beings to break it open into a blues with skittering fills and turnarounds while Kirk blows circularly for 12 and 14 bars at a time. Byard returns for a tender and stirring duet rendition of "I Wished on the Moon," with his own glorious rich lyricism. And here is where Kirk displays the true measure of his ability as a saxophonist. Turning the ballad inside out, every which way without overstating the notes. Here, Ben Webster meets Coleman Hawkins in pure lyric ecstasy. The set officially ends with the wailing flute and sax jam "Aluminum Baby," (both courtesy of the irrepressible Kirk) and the bizarre ride of "Step Right Up" where Kirk sings scat in a dialect that sounds like Pop-eye. Now that's where the LP version ended, but the Label M CD reissue tags on, without credits anywhere two absolutely essential scorchers with what seems to be Byard on piano and an over-the-top bass blowout from Holley. Kirk plays saxophones on both, being his own horn section. This makes an already satisfying date an essential one. Given these additions, this might arguably be the place to start for an interested but underexposed listener who wants to experience how dazzlingly original Kirk was.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Roots 4'09
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2     Here Comes the Whistle Man 4'53
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
3     I Wished on the Moon 4'48
Dorothy Parker / Ralph Rainger
4     Making Love After Hours 4'20
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
5     Yesterdays 3'54
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
6     Aluminum Baby 4'41
Jaki Byard
7     Step Right Up 4'41
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Roland Kirk (pistas: 7)
Double Bass – Major Holley
Drums – Charles Crosby
Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4, 5)
Nose Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 2)
Piano – Jackie Byard (pistas: 1, 3, 6), Lonnie Smith (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7)
Saxophone [Manzello] – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4, 6)
Saxophone [Stritch] – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1 to 4)

ROLAND KIRK - Rip Rig and Panic + Now Please Don't You Cry Beautiful Edith (1990) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Combining the short yet solid 1965 release, Rip, Rig and Panic with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's 1967 release Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith, this two-fer presents a perfect portrait of Kirk's mid-'60s sound. While the albums are very different stylistically, Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith's mix of avant-garde and groove sounds seems like a logical next step to Rip, Rig and Panic's solid hard bop. Either of these albums would be great acquisitions on their own; getting them together is pure gravy. Stacia Proefrock
Rip, Rig & Panic (1965)    
1    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    No Tonic Press    4:30
Written-By – R. Kirk
2    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Once In A While 3:58
Written-By – B. Green, M. Edwards
3    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    From Bechet, Byas, And Fats    6:28
Written-By – R. Kirk
4    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Mystical Dream    2:36
Written-By – R. Kirk
5    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Rip, Rig, And Panic    6:55
Written-By – R. Kirk
6    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Black Diamond 5:20
Written-By – M. Sealey
7    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Slippery, Hippery, Flippery    4:58
Written-By – R. Kirk
Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith (1967)    
8    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Blue Rol    6:09
Written-By – R. Kirk
9    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Alfie 2:52
Written-By – Bacharach/David
10    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Why Don't They Know    2:54
Written-By – R. Kirk
11    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Silverlization    4:57
Written-By – R. Kirk
12    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Fallout    3:01
Written-By – R. Kirk
13    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith    4:23
Written-By – R. Kirk
14    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Stompin' Grounds    4:46
Written-By – R. Kirk
15    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    It's A Grand Night For Swinging 3:10
Written-By – B. Taylor
Credits :
Bass – Richard Davis (pistas: 1 to 7), Ronald Boykins (pistas: 8 to 15)
Castanets, Siren – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1 to 7)
Drums – Elvin Jones (pistas: 1 to 7), Grady Tate (pistas: 8 to 15)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 8 to 15)
Piano – Jaki Byard (pistas: 1 to 7), Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 8 to 15)
Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Stritch], Saxophone [Manzello] – Roland Kirk

ARCHIE SHEPP - Lady Bird (1978-1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Donna Lee 6:32
Charlie Parker    
2     Relaxin' at Camarillo 7:14
Charlie Parker    
3     Now's the Time 7:43
Charlie Parker    
4     Lady Bird 7:47
Tadd Dameron    
5     Flamingo 12:29
Edmund Anderson / Ted Grouya
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Jaki Byard

SAM RIVERS - Fuchsia Swing Song (1964-2003) RM | Blue Note Connoisseur Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1964 immediately after leaving the Miles Davis Quintet, Sam Rivers' Fuchsia Swing Song is one of the more auspicious debuts the label released in the mid-'60s. Rivers was a seasoned session player (his excellent work on Larry Young's Into Somethin' is a case in point), and a former member of Herb Pomeroy's Big Band before he went out with Davis. By the time of his debut, Rivers had been deep under the influence of Coltrane and Coleman, but wasn't willing to give up the blues. Hence the sound on Fuchsia Swing Song is that of an artist at once self-assured and in transition. Using a rhythm section that included Tony Williams (whose Life Time he had guested on), pianist Jaki Byard, and bassist Ron Carter, Rivers took the hard bop and blues of his roots and poured them through the avant-garde collander. The title, opening track is a case in point. Rivers opens with an angular figure that is quickly translated by the band into sweeping, bopping blues. Rivers legato is lightning quick and his phrasing touches upon Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Coleman, and Coltrane, but his embouchure is his own. He strikes the balance and then takes off on both sides of the aisle. Byard's builds in minor key, rhythmic figures just behind the tenor. "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" sounds, initially anyway, like it might have come out of the Davis book so deep is its blue root. But courtesy of Byard and Williams, Rivers goes to the left after only four choruses, moving onto the ledge a bit at a time, running knotty arpeggios through the center of the melody and increasingly bending his notes into succeeding intervals while shifting keys and times signatures, but he never goes completely over the ledge. The most difficult cut on the date is "Luminous Monolith," showcases a swing-like figure introducing the melody. Eight bars in, the syncopation of the rhythm sections begins to stutter step around the time, as Byard makes harmonic adjustments with dense chords for Rivers to play off. This is a highly recommended date. Other than on 1965's Contours, Rivers never played quite like this again.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1    Fuchsia Swing Song    6:03
2    Downstairs Blues Upstairs    5:33
3    Cyclic Episode    6:57
4    Luminous Monolith    6:31
5    Beatrice    6:13
6    Ellipsis    7:43
7    Luminous Monolith (Alternate Take)    6:39
8    Downstairs Blues Upstairs (First Alterate Take)    8:09
9    Downstairs Blues Upstairs (Second Alternate Take)    7:47
10    Downstairs Blues Upstairs (Third Alternate Take)    7:49
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Tony Williams
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Jaki Byard
Producer – Alfred Lion
Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
Tenor Saxophone, Composed By [All Compositions] – Sam Rivers

AL COHN & ZOOT SIMS - Body and Soul (1973-1997) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Other than a couple of albums for tiny collector's labels, this Muse album was Al Cohn's first album as a leader since 1962. Cohn had spent much of the interim as a full-time writer for studios and was finally returning to active playing. He renewed his musical partnership with Zoot Sims on this quintet date for Muse, which also includes pianist Jaki Byard, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Mel Lewis. Cohn and Sims still had very complementary sounds and personalities, so their collaboration on Body and Soul [Muse] holds its own against their earlier dates. Zoot switches to soprano on "Jean"; Cohn is in top form on "Body and Soul." and the three-song "Brazilian Medley" works quite well. This is pleasing and frequently lyrical music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Doodle Oodle 6'54
Billy Byers
2     Emily 7'19
Johnny Mandel / Johnny Mercer    
3     Brazilian Medley: Recado Bossa Nova/The Girl from Ipanema 7'59
Djalma Ferreira / Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Vinícius de Moraes
4     Mama Flossie 5'43
Al Cohn / Zoot Sims    
5     Body and Soul 5'38
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
6     Jean 6'03
Rod McKuen    
7     Blue Hodge 7'03
Gary McFarland
Credits :
Bass – George Duvivier
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Jaki Byard
Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Zoot Sims

BOOKER ERVIN / DEXTER GORDON - Setting the Pace (1965-1993) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD reissue has the complete contents of two former LPs, both recorded at the same session. With very stimulating playing by pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Alan Dawson, tenors Booker Ervin and Dexter Gordon battle it out on marathon (19 and 22 1/2 minute) versions of "Setting the Pace" and "Dexter's Deck." Although Gordon is in good form, Ervin (who sometimes takes the music outside) wins honors. The other two selections ("The Trance" and "Speak Low") are by the same group without Dexter, and these long (19 1/2- and 15-minute) showcases also find Booker in top form, sounding quite distinctive and completely original playing inside/outside music. An exciting set. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Setting the Pace 19:07
Dexter Gordon
2     Dexter's Deck 22:47
Dexter Gordon
3     The Trance 19:36
Booker Ervin
4     Speak Low 15:07
Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill
Credits :
Bass – Reggie Workman
Drums – Alan Dawson
Piano – Jaki Byard
Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin, Dexter Gordon (# 1 and 2 only)

BOOKER ERVIN - The Trance (1965-1997) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in Munich, Germany, in 1965, the three tracks that make up The Trance come from the same session that produced the invigorating Booker Ervin/Dexter Gordon tenor battles, Settin' the Pace. These remaining tracks feature Ervin's sole tenor on two of his compositions, the blues "Groovin at the Jamboree" and the haunting 19-minute title track, dedicated to the late bassist George Tucker. Also included is the standard "Speak Low," also clocking in at 19 minutes. Admittedly, tracks that long can get tiresome quickly in the wrong hands. Fortunately, Ervin's inspired exploratory tenor flights are consistently stirring, punctuated with piercing blues. The Trance delivers further documentation of Ervin's endless tenor inventiveness. The concrete rhythm section of Jaki Byard on piano and Alan Dawson on drums had worked with Ervin off and on for a number of years, while bassist Reggie Workman could comfortably switch between straight bop and outside playing, easily fitting in with this aggregation. by Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     The Trance 19:39
Booker Ervin
2     Speak Low 15:09
Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill
3     Groovin' at the Jamboree 6:38
Booker Ervin
Credits :
Bass – Reggie Workman
Drums – Alan Dawson
Piano – Jaki Byard
Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin

THE BOOKER ERVIN SEXTET - Heavy!!! (1966-1998) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1998 CD reissue differs from the original LP in that the immediately distinctive tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin is featured on a previously unreleased four-minute dirge, "Ode to Charlie Parker." The set matches Ervin with a remarkable rhythm section (pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Alan Dawson), plus trumpeter Jimmy Owens and trombonist Garnett Brown (who sometimes takes co-honors). The music is quite moody, soulful, and explorative yet not forbidding. Although the originals are fine (particularly Brown's "Bächafillen"), the main highlights are an inventive reworking of "Bei Mir Bist du Schön" and Ervin's quartet feature on an emotional rendition of "You Don't Know What Love Is." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Bächafillen 8:15
Garnett Brown
2     You Don't Know What Love Is 8:43
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
3     Aluminum Baby 5:00
Jaki Byard
4     Not Quite That 7:54
Garnett Brown
5     Bei Mir Bist du Shoen 12:28
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / Jacob Jacobs / Sholom Secunda
6     Ode to Charlie Parker 3:57
Jaki Byard
Credits :
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Alan Dawson
Flugelhorn – Jimmy Owens (faixas: 1)
Piano – Jaki Byard
Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin
Trombone – Garnett Brown (faixas: 1, 3 to 6)
Trumpet – Jimmy Owens (faixas: 3 to 6)