Roland Kirk

Roland Kirk or Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1936-1977) blinded soon after birth, took to playing three horns at the same time after dreaming of doing so age 16. Though he played traditional horns such as the tenor sax and flute, he often played obscure ones, in particular the stritch and manzello, as well as whistles, sirens, and other instruments. Kirk also used to often sing and speak through his horns, creating a rasping buzzing quality to his music, a technique which may have originated with flautist Sam Most in the 1950s. Due to his mastery of a technique known as circular breathing - where one exhales through the mouthpiece of one's horn and inhales through one's nose - Kirk was able to sustain a note or run for almost any length of time, an ability that his producer at Atlantic Records, Joel Dorn, thought merited citation in the Guiness Book of Records. For example, on his album 'Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle', Kirk plays for 21 minutes on his 'Saxophone Concerto' without taking a noticeable break to breathe! With a highly unusual sound, Kirk played mostly in his own bands, though notably had a brief stint with Charles Mingus and also worked with Quincy Jones. It is said that before hearing Kirk play, some thought that a blind man playing three horns was a gimmick, an idea that was soon destroyed when he started blowing. Kirk could play pretty much any style of jazz and often referenced the old jazz greats in his work, while at the same time always remaining open to ideas and music outside the traditional 'jazz' idiom. Kirk's music is never dull, always interesting and provocative, and always challenges the listener to listen to the music.
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