Performance · Other credits

Roland Kirk

real name Ronald Theodore Kirk

Columbus, United States

Roland Kirk is credited on 1,387 releases across 253 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1957–2025 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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1,387

Credits

253

Albums

8

Decades active

209

In collections

Biography

American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader
Later known as Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Born on August 7, 1935 in Columbus, Ohio, USA, died on December 5, 1977 in Bloomington, Indiana, USA (of a stroke)
He was best known for being a blind jazz saxophonist who could play more than one wind instrument at once. Kirk played a number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone and two obscure saxophones: the stritch and the manzello. Kirk modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique. The idea of playing more than one saxophone at the same time occurred to him in a dream and he set out to make it a reality. Around 1970 he added "Rahsaan" to his name after hearing it in a dream. He is also noted for his circular breathing technique and was reportedly able to sustain a note for over an hour.

Bio from Discogs

Credited work

1,387 releases · 253 albums · active 1957–2025

  • Performance · 5,287
  • Other credits · 840
  • Production · 33
  • Engineering · 4

Studios: Sound Techniques, London · Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey · Nola Recording Studios · Regent Sound Studios, New York City

Discography

Records they worked on — most-collected first.

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