Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Kirkatron (1977/2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Kirkatron is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975 and studio sessions from 1975 and 1976.

Shortly after Rahsaan Roland Kirk finished his first album for Warner Brothers, he suffered a major stroke that put him out of action and greatly shortened his life. His second LP for the label was actually comprised of leftovers from the earlier session plus three songs taken from an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival; the latter has been reissued on CD in a sampler but the other selections (which include “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” his cover of “This Masquerade,” “Sugar,” “The Christmas Song” and “Bright Moments”) remain out of print. This LP (which finds him mostly sticking to tenor), Kirk’s next-to-last album, has enough highlights to make it worth searching for. –AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:
01. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Serenade To A Cuckoo (03:37)
02. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – This Masquerade (05:29)
03. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Sugar (03:27)
04. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Los Angeles Negro Chorus (00:26)
05. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Steppin’ Into Beauty (06:42)
06. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Christmas Song (03:36)
07. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Bagpipe Medley (02:18)
08. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Mary Mcleod Bethune (00:23)
09. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Bright Moments (04:10)
10. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Lyriconon (04:10)
11. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Night In Tunisia (04:58)
12. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – J. Griff’s Blues (07:44)

Personnel:
Roland Kirk: tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute
Hilton Ruiz: piano, keyboards (tracks 1-3, 5, 7 & 10-12)
Henry Pete Pearson: bass (tracks 1, 7, 10 & 12)
Sonny Barkan: drums (tracks 1, 7 & 12)
Todd Barkan: percussion (tracks 1, 7 & 12)
Steve Turre: trombone (tracks 2-3, 5 & 11)
Cornell Dupree: guitar (tracks 2 & 11)
Richard Tee: keyboards (tracks 2 & 11)
William S. Fischer: synthesizer (tracks 2 & 11)
Gordon Edwards: electric bass (tracks 2 & 11)
James Madison: drums (tracks 2 & 11)
Ruddley Thibodeaux: percussion (tracks 2 & 11)
Milton Suggs: bass (tracks 3 & 5)
Walter Perkins: drums (tracks 3 & 5)
Tony Waters: percussion (tracks 3 & 5)
Michael Hill: vocals (tracks 3 & 5)
Trudy Pitts: organ (track 6)
William Butler: guitar (track 6 & 10)
Bill Carney: drums (track 6)
Sanford Allen: violin (track 6)
Alfred Brown, Selwart Clarke: viola (track 6)
Kermit Moore: cello (track 6)
William S. Fischer: arranger, conductor (track 6)
Howard Johnson: tuba (track 9)
Romeo Penque: baritone saxophone, oboe (track 9)
Buster Williams: bass (track 9)
Charlie Persip: drums (track 9)
Joe Habao Texidor: percussion, vocals (track 9)
Betty Neals, Maeretha Stewart, Milt Grayson, Arthur Williams, Randy Peyton, Hilda Harris, Adrienne Albert, Francine Caroll: vocals (track 9)
Frank Foster: arranger (track 9)
Jerry Griffin: drums (track 10)