Roland Kirk's Finest Hour (2001)

About this title: As difficult as it is to adequately present such a talented, driven, quirky and unique musician, this compilation tries. Drawn from his Mercury and Verve recordings, mostly from the first half of the '60s, this worthy release eschews his later, more experimental work on Atlantic. Whether playing two or three woodwinds simultaneously, wailing on flute or whistle or employing his own stritch or manzello, he sounds like no one else. He gets sympathetic backing throughout, particularly from a wide assortment of pianists who include Herbie Hancock and Horace Parlan. Nine of the 14 tracks are ... read more

Tracks:

1. Stompin' Grounds [Kirk]
2. Blue Rol [Kirk]
3. Serenade to a Cuckoo [Kirk]
4. Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year [Loesser]
5. Ecclusiastics [Mingus]
6. When the Sun Comes Out [Arlen/Koehler]
7. Gifts and Messages [Kirk]
8. I Believe in You [Loesser]
9. My Ship [Weill/Gershwin]
10. Half a Triple [Kirk]
11. Once in a While [Edwards/Green]
12. No Tonic Pres [Kirk]
13. Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith [Kirk]
14. E.D. [Kirk]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.