RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve / The Warner Bros. Recordings (1995) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

This single CD has selections from Rahsaan Roland Kirk's final three albums. His work on his last record Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real was quite heroic and miraculous because he had suffered a major stroke that greatly limited his abilities; in fact Kirk had the use of only one of his hands so his playing was sadly restricted. There is a remarkable amount of variety plus a liberal dose of Kirk's humor on this retrospective, ranging from a "Bagpipe Medley" and "Sweet Georgia Brown" (complete with a whistler and Freddie Moore's washboard) to a warm "I'll Be Seeing You" and a tribute to Johnny Griffin, the main influence on Rahssan's tenor sound. For those listeners who do not already have the three LPs, this is a strong best-of sampler of the saxophonist's final period although his earlier recordings are recommended first. This CD concludes with an emotional and rather touching collage that pays tribute to Kirk's genius and mourns his premature death. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Lunatic Danza 5'24
Traditional
2     Theme for the Eulipions 9'44
Rahsaan Roland Kirk / Betty Neals
3     Sweet Georgia Brown 4'45
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
4     I'll Be Seeing You 6'08
Sammy Fain / Irving Kahal
5     Los Angeles Negro Chorus 0'27
6     Serenade to a Cuckoo 3'37
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7     Bagpipe Medley 2'15
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
8     J. Griff's Blues 7'32
Traditional
9     Mary McLeod Bethune 0'24
10     I Loves You, Porgy 1'49
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
11     Hey Babebips 5'09
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
12     In a Mellow Tone 6'16
Duke Ellington / Milt Gabler
13     Dorthaan's Walk 7'12
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
14     Watergate Blues 6'35
Percy Heath
15     Summertime 1'40
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
16     Thunder and Lightning Goodbye 4'10
All Credits

ROLAND KIRK - Introducing Roland Kirk (1960-1990) The Original Chess Jazz Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although the title suggests otherwise, Introducing Roland Kirk is actually Kirk's second long player. Poor distribution kept his debut, Triple Threat, from receiving the attention it deserved until subsequent reissues of the album in the early '70s. On these sides, Kirk is accompanied by a quartet including: Ira Sullivan (trumpet/tenor sax), William Burton (keyboards), Don Garrett (bass), and Sonny Brown (drums). Kirk leads the ensemble with his "triple threat" -- consisting of a variation of the soprano sax called a manzello; a stritch, which is a variant of the straight alto saxophone; and a slightly modified tenor sax -- all of which he could maneuver simultaneously. Although Kirk's performances are exceedingly reserved on this album, there is little doubt of his technical proficiencies. The three sides penned by Kirk are among the most interesting as they allow for a certain degree of openness that is essential when spotlighting his unique talents. This autonomy yields some exceptional interplay between Kirk and Ira Sullivan -- highlighted on "The Call" and "Soul Station." One of the motifs evident throughout Kirk's career involved his ability to personalize pop standards into his very distinctive mold as "Our Love Is Here to Stay" aptly exemplifies. Although some free jazz and avant-garde purists may find Introducing Roland Kirk not challenging enough, it provides a solid basis for his increasingly bombastic post-bop experiments throughout the remainder of the '60s and '70s. Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     The Call 8'42
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2     Soul Station 5'57
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
3     Our Waltz 4'51
David Rose
4     Our Love Is Here to Stay 4'50
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
5    Spirit Girl 5'33
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
6     Jack the Ripper 7'32
William Burton
Credits :
Bass – Don Garrett
Drums – Sonny Brown
Piano, Organ – William Burton
Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Manzello, Strich] – Roland Kirk
Trumpet, Tenor Saxophone – Ira Sullivan