Kirk’s Work     

The abrasive, expressive sounds of Roland Kirk’s saxophone and flute playing were a regular feature of my childhood. Though I wasn’t excited with all my father’s musical choices, I can still pretty much hum along with the solos of this album from start to finish. Twenty five or more years since I first heard it and I still love it and listen from time to time!

For those not familiar, Kirk was a blind Jazz Saxophonist with a career in the 60s and 70s. He was often mistaken for a man defined by his gimmicks. It’s true he could play three saxophones at once – thereby becoming his own (somewhat quirky) brass section. He also learnt how to play flute and sax simultaneously although that trick seemed more limited in scope. As if these crowd pleasers were not enough, his saxophone and flute voicings (the flute especially) were unmistakable. Just have a listen to ‘Funk Underneath’ on this album to see what I mean. Lastly he had an array of amazing whistle sound effects to punctuate solos…

You would think all this would leave him looking and sounding more like a circus act than a serious jazz musician. But in truth, they were simply the unique expression of a singular talent and personality. As I have found out in my own music (notably by making overdubbed recordings of brass sections with my own somewhat limited trumpet playing): the limitations incurred by doing everything yourself can often be more than outweighed by the gains of controlling the entire piece 100%. You also learn clever arranging tricks in order to comfortably live within those limits. Consequently, Kirk’s one-man-band brass section always had beautiful zero-fat arrangements and a togetherness that only one man (rather than 3) can bring to a part. Meanwhile, the whistles and distinctive sounds of his playing were an expression of his personality – lively, humorous, in-your-face – while the whole band seem to perform as a living, breathing extension of Kirk himself.

The album Kirk’s Work also notably features hammond organ legend Jack McDuff. His bluesy playing adds a depth to the sound unmatched in Kirks other recordings. Also, this one is noticeably tighter both in the playing and the arrangements than Kirk’s often ragged creations. The tunes are easily as well formed as the ever popular Miles Davis ‘Kind of Blue’ (and I don’t say that lightly). Where Kirk was often experimental and obtuse, this time he consolidates his discoveries and is beautifully accessible.

While I sometimes yearn for the improvised heights of ‘Sweet Fire’ or the angry passion of ‘The Inflated Tear’, I would always recommend ‘Kirk’s Work’ as an introduction to his genius. And it’s these songs – some of them Kirk’s own, some distinctive versions of standards, that ring in my head the most!