SR-60844: The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets The Benny Golson Orchestra

	Label Type :	light blue Mercury promotional C
	Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	SR 60844 A- M1    RR    II
		SIDE-B	SR 60844 B- M1    RR    I

Comments

promotional copy (for broadcast) with light blue label.

with original Mercury inner sleeve.

Inside The Groove

The Genius Roland Kirk's 4th leader LP on Mercury label - one side with Benny Golson's orchestra, the other side with his quartet.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

This LP contains two different sessions held on June 1963.

Side-A features gorgeous session backed up with Benny Golson orchestra. Fortunately Roland Kirk plays as he is always, although it is uncertain whether Benny Golson's arrangements meet Roland Kirk's personality (but IMHO Benny Golson's arrangements heard here sounds nice for Roland Kirk's freaky performance).

On the other hand, Side-B is a straightahead quartet session. B-5 “Abstract Improvisation” brings to mind the “Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxophones” by Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (MG-20606). Anyway it is always surprising that Roland Kirk never left poor works throughout his entire life.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

10 out of 10

Track Listing

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

Side-A:
Roland Kirk (ts, stritch, manzello, fl, siren)
with the Benny Golson Orchestra, personnel including:
Virgil Jones (tp), Richard Williams (tp),
Tom McIntosh (tb), Charles Greenlea (tb), Don Butterfield (tuba),
Harold Mabern (p), Richard Davis (b), Albert Heath (ds),
Benny Golson (arr, cond).
Recorded at A&R Studios, New York City on June 11, 1963.

Side-B:
Roland Kirk (ts, fl, manzello, stritch),
Harold Mabern (p), Abdullah Rafik (b), Sonny Brown (ds).
Recorded at A&R Studios, New York City on June 12, 1963.

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