Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Lore & Background

Ronald Theodore Kirk was born in Columbus, Ohio, in the Flytown neighborhood. He became blind at age two, which he attributed to improper medical treatment. After studying at the Ohio State School for the Blind, he began playing rhythm and blues on weekends with Boyd Moore's band by age 15. Saxophonist Hank Crawford recalled hearing Kirk as a teenager playing two horns at once, calling him 'an original from the beginning.' Kirk changed his first name to 'Roland' after a dream, and later added 'Rahsaan' in 1970 after hearing it in another dream.

Kirk was politically outspoken, often discussing African-American history and the civil rights movement during concerts, using satire and absurdist humor. Comedian Jay Leno, who opened for Kirk, recalled being introduced as 'a young brother who knows the black experience.' In 1975, Kirk suffered a major stroke that partially paralyzed one side of his body, but he modified his instruments to continue performing, even playing two instruments at once at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. He collapsed during a performance at Indiana University on December 5, 1977, and died later at a hospital from a second stroke.

Kirk's hometown of Columbus was not appreciative of his work for most of his career; he was once thrown out of a local nightclub because his music was considered too difficult. However, in the 21st century, jazz fans in Columbus have embraced his legacy. Columbus Mayor Jack Sensenbrenner declared December 10, 1970, 'Rahsaan day.' His widow, Dorthaan Kirk, became a notable jazz curator and producer, receiving the 2020 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy.

Reader's Guide

Rahsaan Roland Kirk's significance lies in his radical expansion of jazz instrumentation and performance. He played multiple saxophones—tenor, 'stritch' (a straight alto), and 'manzello' (a modified soprano)—simultaneously, creating true chords and functioning as a one-man saxophone section. He was also an influential flutist, using techniques like singing or humming into the flute and playing nose flute alongside standard flute. His live shows combined virtuosic improvisation with comic banter and political ranting, making him a unique stage presence.

Kirk's musical conception was broad, incorporating blues, stride piano, early jazz, pop tunes, and classical works by Saint-Saëns, Hindemith, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, and Villa-Lobos. He preferred the term 'black classical music' for his work. His album 'The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color' was a concept album featuring tape loops, found sounds, and a hidden answering machine message on a seemingly blank side. He also used non-musical devices like alarm clocks and garden hose ('the black mystery pipes').

His legacy includes influencing Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, who learned Kirk's vocalizing style on flute after hearing 'Serenade to a Cuckoo.' Anderson called Kirk 'touched by genius.' Kirk's playing was rooted in soul jazz and hard bop but drew from ragtime to free jazz, and his recordings often incorporated spoken commentaries on current events like Watergate. Critic Gary Giddins wrote that Kirk's tenor playing alone would have secured his reputation.

Did You Know?

• Kirk became blind at age two, which he said was due to improper medical treatment.
• He changed his name to 'Rahsaan' in 1970 after hearing it in a dream.
• After a 1975 stroke that partially paralyzed one side, he modified his instruments to continue playing with one arm.
• His album 'The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color' had a hidden answering machine message on a side that appeared blank.