rahsaan roland kirk

Rahsaan Roland Kirk defined “musical brilliance.” Referring to jazz as “black classical music,” his genius, showmanship and originality for it was welcomed by some, but, as jazz entrepreneur Todd Barkin wrote, “Rahsaan created a universe of his own, musically, spiritually, and aesthetically — and that was too heavy for most people.” Some critics and musicians even derided his work as that of a “circus act.”

Fortunately, nearly 37 years since his death, a group of wonderfully eccentric New Yorkers — led by Kirk biographer John Kruth (Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk) — is assembling