One of the best-remembered albums from the Atlantic Records run of the legendary Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a set that stands as Kirk's answer to all the hipper soul currents that were taking place at the time – including some that were being issued by singers on Atlantic Records! The album is mostly instrumental, but Roland has this way of singing through his reeds at times, especially his flute – really bringing an earthy sense of personality to the whole thing – as he mixes his acoustic lines on flute, tenor, and other reeds with work from Richard Tee on electric piano, Mickey Tucker on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Dick Griffin on trumpet. There's a few vocal spots from other singers – Cissy Houston sings on two great cuts – and titles include remakes of "Never Can Say Goodbye", "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", "My Girl", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some other nice originals by Roland, including Blacknuss", "Which Way Is It Going", and "One Nation". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful late chapter in the jazz journey of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – and an album of subtle genius that's really opened up to us over the years! The setting here isn't as "hit you over the head" as on some of Kirk's Atlantic Records – because at one level, the tunes are mostly straight, and free of gimmicks – yet also still manage to conjure up the warmth, spirit, and soul that Roland brought to his best work. There's a slightly electric vibe running through some of the tunes, thanks to keyboards from Hilton Ruiz – and the album also benefits from organ work by Trudy Pitts and guitar from Billy Butler – both of whom are wonderfully restrained, in a way that matches the subtlety of the entire conception of the set. Titles include "Theme For The Eulipions", which features a great recitation from Betty Neals, plus cool chorus vocals – and other titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Giant Steps", "Loving You", and "I'll Be Seeing You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which mixes together bop, avant garde, and New Orleans styles – and side two features more of the same in an extended medley of tracks, plus the titles "Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree" and "Sweet Fire". The album's got a few cool passages that feature recitations by Rahsaan – stating his musical philosophy, and tracing the development of the styles of work – and other players include Leroy Jenkins on violin, Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, and Sonelius Smith on celeste! LP, Vinyl record album

Later genius from Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a record of wonderful depth and soul, and a session that moves back to the straighter jazz focus of some of his work from the Mercury years – yet still keeps all the personality and charm of the best Atlantic sides! Roland's playing in a warm jazzy mode that still features some of his wit and tricks – but which also is even more nicely in a straight jazz vein on the album's best tracks – rolling out in a gently soulful 70s mode that features some slight electric touches, but which preserves a main focus on his own soulful work on a variety of saxes and flute. The lineup is great too – with a shifting group of players that include Hilton Ruiz, Billy Butler, Walter Perkins, and even the great Trudy Pitts – and titles include "Sugar", "Serenade To A Cuckoo", "The Christmas Song", "Los Angeles Negro Chorus", "Bright Moments", "Night In Tunisia", and "J. Griff's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A warm tribute to the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and one that features Griffin's trombone in a group with Gary Bartz on alto sax, Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and either Billy Hart or Idris Muhammad on drums – all wonderful players who really fit the soulful spirit of the session. The material is hardly a batch of easy covers of Kirk tunes, and instead features some really wonderful numbers penned by Griffin – tunes filled with all the sense of soul and joy that Rahsaan brought to his own music. Titles include "There Is A Time For Love", "Darkness Of Duke", "It's About That Time", "A Dream For Rahsaan", and "Come Dance With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

With performances by Nat Adderley, Art Blakey, Gary Burton, Jaki Byard, George Duke, Harry Edison, Tyree Glenn, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Howard McGhee, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Stitt, Tony Williams, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of funky breaks – and better than any other volume in this all-great series! This 5th take on the Right On sound goes way deep – deep enough to cross genres in search of a funky groove, hitting bases across a wide range of Warner/Atlantic jazz, funk, soul, and rock albums to come up with some killer cuts that are incredibly fresh! Most tracks are linked by a love of heavy drums and monster basslines – even though they come from a disparate selection of albums and singles – and the set does an especially nice job of bringing together tracks from records that only have one good track on them – thereby saving you the trouble of paying for the full LP! Wonderful throughout, with tracks that include "15 Degrees" by Sam Samudio, "Pick Up The Pieces" by Willis Jackson, "The Creeper" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Feelin Alright" by Wade Marcus, "Hi Jack" by Herbie Mann, "Spanish Moon" by Little Feat, "Freaks For The Festival" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "Space A La Mode" by Herb Geller, "Hang Loose" by Don Randi, "Mr Man" by Air, "It Ain't Easy" by Sweetwater, "Leroy The Magician" by Gary Burton, and "Jungle Eyes" by Gene Page. 2LP set features one non-CD cut – "Schirokko" by Passport! LP, Vinyl record album