Kahan, Adam - Rahsaan Roland Kirk

A truly great portrait of a remarkable man and musicians – – but I wanted one more extras. I'm certain as part of putting this together, Adam had a ton of extra footage, great interviews, that could've been turned into special features for the disc. And I realize, that takes an additional production effort, and more budget, so that may have been a consideration. But when I bought the desk, I truly was looking for more extra features in addition to the presentation. This was a missed opportunity . True Rahsaan fans want more about the man. Also, what about more interviews with people who knew him and interacted with him-- Yusef Lateef being a great example – – the man could've provided a great inside, and was still alive while Adam was putting this together. Otherwise, the film is wonderful. Buy a copy and support jazz music.

This wonderfully and imaginatively produced DVD introduces us to the man and his music. Erratically shot home footage is wonderfully intercut with music and dialog. There's a lot very well produced performance video, nearly all with great sound and production values, mostly between 1965 and '76. A dozen or so interviews are well integrated with the music, most effectively with Dorthann Kirk, and a half dozen other musicians who played with him, especially trombonist Steve Turre. One of many highlights is the performance on the Ed Sullivan show by an all-star band led by Rahsaan that included Charles Mingus,Archie Shepp, and Roy Haynes.I had the great pleasure to hear Rahsaan in small clubs both before and after his stroke. He was a powerful man with great creativity and drive, and I'll never forget the experience. This video does him justice.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk was in a class by himself. He did things no other saxophonist had before or since. His dedication creativity and invention almost defies the imagination. He played 3 saxophones at once. He defined the standard for circular breathing. He played 2 flutes at once, including one with his nose. No these were not gimmicks he made meaningful music using a palate that was that diverse and beautiful. He composed beautiful melodies and played a big part in bringing Black Classical Music to television in the late 60s. Most people at some point have heard of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins. Rahsaan Roland Kirk deserves to be included among the great who have furthered this great original American art form. This movie does hims justice in telling his story. Enjoy!

What I liked of this documentary was the endurance, determination to pursue a man's dreams, no matter the obstacles, blindness, a stroke, kidneys malfunction, etcetera in order to achieve beauty in this sometimes gray world. Nicely done !

Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a profound master, a poet of sound with a soaring spirit. Unflinching and outspoken in his political expression as well as his music, he is best known for his virtuosic expansion of woodwind performance—playing two or three saxophones simultaneously, vocalizing with his flutes, circular breathing—not as a gimmick but to express chordal voicings and widen the ears of those who were present to hear. This film beautifully captures his playing and snippets of his life, with period interviews of him as well as contemporary interviews with people close to him. There are some elements of the production that might strike some as cheesy, but don't be fooled—the life and music of Rahsaan comes through in full force.

This is a video that describes not just Rahsaan's career but gives a glimpse of the person and some of the impediments (not just the blindness) that he had to overcome. Not just an interesting musician, but an interesting personality. The assemblage of a jazz supergroup with Mingus to 'protest' on national TV was deadly serious but also had a tinge of humor in it which I always seem to get a sense of when I watch/listen to Rahsaan play.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a "miraculized" human being who transformed sounds from the dream world into the waking world in ways all his own. Beautifully done portrait of his life and contributions to the world of Black Classical Music.

There is the artist, the music, the genius and the appreciation. What else is necessary to say? Appreciate these things, watch and enjoy. Don't appreciate them? This ain't for you, keep moving.

Great!

Endlich ist sie da, die lange erwartete Doku über diesen Ausnahmemusiker! Bislang gab es nur ein paar ebenfalls sehr empfehlenswerte Konzertmitschnitte aus der superben Reihe "Jazz Icons", aber nun erfährt man endlich vieles mehr über den blinden Multi-Instrumentalist, der leider viel zu früh starb.Super gemacht - eine Mischung aus Archivaufnahmen von TV-Shows, Super 8 Filmen seiner Familie, Konzertauftritten, Interviews mit seinen Musikern, Freunden und mit seiner Witwe. Was den Film noch kurzweiliger macht, sind die kurzen, witzigen Zeichentrickszenen, die mich ein bißchen an Heinz Edelmann's "Yellow Submarine" erinnern. Die Qualität der nicht ganz billigen BluRay ist auch top. Als Bonus gibt es noch ein Interview mit seinem Produzenten sowie einen 7 minütigen, mir bislang völlig unbekannten Konzertmitschnitt von 1977, also kurz vor seinem Tod.Hoffentlich wird "Rah" noch von vielen Leuten entdeckt. Seine Musik war so frisch und originell wie kaum eine andere, und diese Doku wird ihr und ihrem Schöpfer mehr als gerecht. Super Film!!!

カークの初めて見る映像がたくさんありました。特に噂の椅子壊しの場面は感動しました。カークファンは必見です。

poor audio quality