Three For The Festival – 1962
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
The unique and dazzling Rahsaan in an early film clip
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Rahsaan Roland Kirk was such a talented, colorful and unique performer that he really fit into his own category.
Whether playing three saxophones at once, creating a 20-minute solo on one nonstop breath (via circular breathing), or playing any of his horns very credibly in any style, Kirk had no real equals.
This excerpt from the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival hints at the enormous potential of the masterful musician.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk plays three horns (tenor, stritch and manzello) as a horn section on his uptempo blues “Three For The Festival,” takes a highly expressive flute solo over a stoptime rhythm, and tears into the piece to the audience’s delight.
He is joined by pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Vernon Martin and drummer Clifford Jarvis.
-Scott Yanow
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