Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
	Kirk performing in 1972
Background information
Born	Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935; Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	December 5, 1977 (aged 42); Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.
Genres	Jazz; hard bop; soul jazz;
Occupations	Musician; composer; arranger; bandleader;
Instruments	Tenor saxophone; clarinet; stritch; manzello; nose flute; cor anglais; keyboards; percussion;
Years active	1955–1977
Labels	King; Chess; Prestige; Mercury; Limelight; Verve; Atlantic; Warner Bros.;
Formerly of	Charles Mingus; Quincy Jones;

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935 – December 5, 1977), known earlier in his career simply as Roland Kirk, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality; in his shows, virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the simultaneous playing of several instruments.