Preferring to lead his have groups, Kirk seldom performed as a sideman, though he did record by using arranger Quincy Jones, Roy Haynes and had especially notable stints by having Charles Mingus.

His swimming was typically rooted around soul jazz or hard bop, but Kirk's encyclopaedic cognitiin of jazz history allowed him to draw convincingly on any element of the music's history, from either ragtime to Swing and free jazz. Kirk as well regularly explored authoritative & pop music.

Kirk played & collected the brobdingnagian total of instrument, primarily various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His independent instruments were tenor saxophone, & 2 obscure sax: a manzello (similar to a treble sax) and the strich (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's characteristic upturned bell). He besides played harmonica, english horn, recorders and was the capable trumpeter. Influenced by 20th century classical music, Kirk sometimes modified his instruments to better lawsuit his improper techniques, & around addition utilized numerous extramusical sounds in his art, like alarm clocks, whistles, & sirens. A few observers thought these touches were gimmicks, however Kirk insisted he was sole trying to emulate a sounds he imagined.

He was likewise the exponent of circular breathing and was reportedly able to sustain the note for across an hour. He played numbers of instruments, & likewise listed many novel and influential techniques as a flautist. Of these system which he developed was to sing or hum into a flute at the equivalent instance when swimming. (This system was adopted late by Jeremy Steig and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - compare the Kirk tune Serenade to the Cuckoo in their 1st album.)

Around 1975 he suffered a stroke which led to unfair paralysis of one side of his system. Despite this, he continued to perform, swimming sustaining lof these one arm, & managed to tour internationally & potentially pop up in TV. Alas, he died from either another stroke within 1977.

Discography

Independent Albums

1960 - Introducing Roland Kirk - Chess 1961 - ''Kirk's Work - Prestige/OJC 1961 - We Yours free! Kings - Mercury 1962 - Domino - Verve 1963 - Reeds & Deeds - Mercury 1963 - Kirk in Copenhagen [live] - Mercury 1964 - Roland Kirk Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra - Mercury 1964 - I Talk to the Spirits - Verve 1964 - Gifts and Messages - Mercury 1965 - Here Comes a Whistleman [live] - Atlantic 1965 - Slightly Latin - Limelight 1965 - Rip, Rig and Panic - Limelight 1967 - Funk Underneath - Prestige 1967 - Now Please Don't Busy people Cry, Beautiful Edith - Verve 1967 - The Inflated Tear - Atlantic 1968 - Left and Perfect - Atlantic 1968 - Volunteered Slavery - Rhino 1970 - Rahsaan Rahsaan - Atlantic 1971 - Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata - Atlantic 1971 - Blacknuss - Collectables 1972 - A Meeting of the Days - Atlantic 1972 - I, Eye, Aye: Survive at a Montreux Jazz Festival, 1972 - Rhino 1973 - Bright Moments [live] - Rhino 1973 - Prepare Thyself to Treat By having the Miracle - Atlantic 1973 - The Art of Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Atlantic 1975 - The Pack of the Threesome Sided Dream inside Audio Color - Atlantic 1975 - The Go to of the 5000 Lb. Human - Warner Bros. 1976 - Other Folks' Music - Atlantic 1976 - Kirkatron - Warner Bros. 1977 - Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real - Warner Bros. 2000 - Third Dimension - Bethlehem 2003 - Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom [live] - Hyena 2005 - Third Dimension & Beyond - Boat Oh Yea! (Mingus) Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Mingus) A Jaki Byard Case (Byard)

Compilations

1956 - Early Roots - Bethlehem 1956 - Soulful Saxes - Affinity 1956 - Triple Threat - King 1961 - Pre Rahsaan - Prestige 1961 - Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk - Mercury 1961 - Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz - Verve 1961 - Does Your Home Stand Lions: A Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology - Rhino 1963 - Dog Years in the For Ring - 32 Jazz 1965 - Rip, Rig and Panic/Now Please Don't That you Cry, Beautiful Edith - EmArcy 1968 - Aces Back to Back - 32 Jazz 1970 - Live in Paris, Vol. One'' - France's Concert 1970 - Live in Paris, Vol. Two - France's Concert 1973 - The Human World health organization Cried Fire [live] - Sindrome 1973 - The Human World health organization Cried Fire [Original] [live] - Night 1976 - Paris 1976 [live] - Royal Jazz 1976 - Rahsaan Roland Kirk & His Vibration Society Paris [live] - Jeal 1976 - Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve - Warner Archives 1994 - Verve Jazz Masters 27 - Polygram 1995 - Soul Station - Affinity 1996 - Three for the Festival [live] - Le Jazz 1996 - Sweet Fire - Jazz Hour 1998 - Standing Eight - 32 Jazz 1999 - Haunted Melodies - Metropolitan 1999 - Separate But Compeer: A Example of the Iii Sided Dream inside Audio Color/Part of the Research - 32 Jazz 1999 - Meeting of the Times/Ornette! - Collectables 1999 - Left Hook, Right Cross - 32 Jazz 2000 - Les Incontournables - Warner Jazz Les Inocontournables 2001 - ''Roland Kirk's Finest Hour - Verve 2004 - Inflated Tear/Natural Black Inventions: Roots Strata - Collectables 2005 - Kirkatron/Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real - Collectables A Right of Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Atlantic A Jazz Corps - Pacific A Vibration Continues'' - Atlantic