Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
Bolstered by his impressive box set, Dog Years in the Fourth Ring, the profile of the late Rahsaan Roland Kirk has been significantly elevated. It's about time. Kirk's singular technique (he was capable of blowing multiple horns simultaneously) and ability to be consistently inventive is drawing a new generation of fans.

This new set offers a selection of four Kirk LPs spread out throughout his career. Roland Kirk Left and Right (1968) is a low-key affair with Kirk darting in and out of melodies showing both a light touch and nimble tone thinking. On Rahsaan Rahsaan (1970) Kirk really struts his stuff, mixing and matching styles with abandon and at one point playing the melody of 'Lover' on three horns at once. Prepare Thyself to Deal with a Miracle (1973) features Kirk's amazing 21-minute 'Saxophone Concerto' while Other Folks Music (1976) is a fast-paced collage of styles and sounds. A set unpredictable, exciting, and pure Rahsaan. --S. Duda

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Related Items:
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Related Items:

• Kirk's Work
• I, Eye, Aye: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1972
• Inflated Tear
• Dog Years in the Fourth Ring
• Standing Eight
• see more

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Disc 1:

1. Black Mystery Has Been Revealed - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
2. Expansions: Kirkquest/Kingus Mingus/Celestialness/A Dream of ... - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
3. Lady's Blues - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
4. I X Love - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Mingus, Charles
5. Hot Cha - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Woods, Willie
6. Quintessence - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Jones, Quincy
7. I Waited for You - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Fuller, Gil
8. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Strayhorn, Billy

Disc 2:

1. The Seeker: Black Classical Rap/The Seeker/Thank You Bird/New Orleans - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
2. Satin Doll - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Ellington, Duke
3. Introduction - Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
4. Medley: Going Home/Sentimental Journey/In Monument/Lover - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Brown, Les
5. Sweet Fire - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
6. Introduction - Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
7. Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan

Disc 3:

1. Salvation and Reminiscing - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
2. Seasons: One Mind Winter/Summer/Ninth Ghost - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
3. Celestial Bliss - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
4. Saxophone Concerto: Saxophone Miracle/One Breath Beyond/Dance of ... - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan

Disc 4:

1. Water for Robeson and Williams - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kirk, Rahsaan Rolan
2. That's All - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Haymes, Bob
3. Donna Lee - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Parker, Charlie
4. Simone - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Foster, Frank
5. Anysha - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Pitts, Trudy
6. Samba Kwa Mwanamke Mweusi - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Pearson, Henry
7. Arrival - Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Ruiz, Hilton

Rating: - Somewhere Between a Masterpiece and Indulgent
To me, Roland Rahsaan Kirk reached his peak with "The Inflated Tear". After that, even though he still came out with some classic music, he tended to be somewhat self indulgent (i.e. using sound effects, spending too much time with dated hip talk on live recordings). If his music hadn't sold so well, he'd be classed as an outsider artist and he certainly has fans within the indie rock world such as Sonic Youth (considering that live, Kirk's performances would involve smashing up a chair, compared to many sedate jazz artists, he could be classed as punk, within the jazz community). As for these four albums, they have aspects of free jazz, hard bop, dixieland, ragtime, gospel, blues a full orchestra on some tracks, uncategorable experimentation including the use of home made instruments and as mentioned weird sound effects. Still within the realm of free jazz, I find this a lot more interesting than free jazz that is strictly avant-garde classical and are "compisitions" or tuneless blasting not grounded in anything musically (though that can be fun at times). I think that by including forms of jazz that were considered dated at that time along with the free jazz/playing 3 saxophones at a time out there aspects, Roland Rahsaan Kirk was trying to say that his music was not trying to pigeonhole itself but was open to all forms of jazz and that jazz was not evolutionary but that all styles from all eras were equally valid. That said "Left and Right" is the most solid album (even with the orchestrations), "Rahsaan, Rahsaan" is a classic concert. The other two albums, "Prepare Thyself.." and "Other Folk's Music" are not quite as good. However, no one can contest the statement that Kirk was probably the most unique jazz musician in history. His music takes some getting used to but once you readjust your sensors, you can find a lot that is rewarding.

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Rating: - Under appreciated!
Over orchestrated? I don't think so, but that's not the issue. This is a must have for any "long time fan" of Rahsaan. I still have all of these on vinyl and will surely be adding this box set to my collection too. Worth it just for Rahsaan Rhasaan although, Left & Right and Other Folks Music are good too. Even Stanley(the grouch) Crouch wrote a positive review on the LP version. Where can you get four discs for a deal like this?

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Rating: - I do not agree about the overorchestration
I think that this collection of titles is quite unique for rahsaan. They are a bit different from the Mercury recordings and not exactly straight ahead, but hell, I don't think rahsaan was very straight ahead for most of his life. This collection is VERY much worth the money for four albums and I LOVE THEM... actually, I love every one of the 40 or so Rahsaan discs I have on vinyl and CD. He is one artist that you should have every little piece of his and I intend to do just that. I also highly recommend the Mercury box set. Buy it as well, but remember, you'll still be missing alot of rahsaan. dfielding@figleaf.com

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Rating: - Overorchestrated
As a longtime R.R.Kirk listener and fan, this was a big disappointment to me. I had never heard of any of the four albums on this reissue, and there's a good reason. Kirk worked best in small groups; heck, he WAS a group. Most of the material here is overorchestrated, in an embarrassingly dated way. There's good stuff here, but you have to pick through a lot of mediocre-to-bad material. If you're looking for bargains, get "Dog Years in the Fourth Ring".