Ken Vandermark's a hell of a genius on his own – but he's also pretty darn generous as well!
Vandermark is easily one of the greatest living saxophonists working today, yet he's never one to toot his own horn (no pun intended) – and instead goes out of his way to credit the artists who've helped him shape his style over the years – in this case Sonny Rollins and Roland Kirk, both of whom are the focus of this set! CD 1 features Six For Rollins – a set of tracks that mixes Sonny Rollins compositions with
Vandermark's own, in the tradition of Impulse classics Four For Trane or Three For Shepp – all in the spirit of Rollins, but pushing farther too! CD 2 features Free Kings – The Music Of Roland Kirk – a beautiful exploration of Kirk's compositions from the 60s and early 70s, played with great intensity by the
Vandermark 5 lineup of
Ken Vandermark on reeds, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Dave Rempis on alto and tenor, and Tim Daisy on drums. Titles include "The Bridge", "Strode Rode", "John S", "East Broadway Rundown", "Alfie Suite", "Free Kings Suite", "Black & Crazy Blues", "Inflated Tear", "Handful Of Fives", "Rip Rig & Panic", and "No Tonic Press".