There’s a topic over at MetaFilter about legendary saxplayer Rahsaan Roland Kirk. According to TRFZB, he appears to have joined the Mothers at the 1968 Boston Globe Jazz Festival, and was on the same bill as the MOI for a ’69 jazz tour of the East Coast. Questions:
- Does anyone know of any footage of these gigs?
- Does anyone know of any written accounts of them?
Madamjujujive says thanks.
“Bright Moments” by John Kuth, pages 224-228: “I met Kirk after he had done his part…and I said ‘would you be interested in playing with us…’ He said he didn’t know and I said ‘well you’ve never heard the group before…if you like it come onstage and we’ll back you up’ so we played for 5 or 10 minutes and he came on with horns hanging all over him and blew his brains out”…this goes on for a further few pages. If I had a time machine that’s where I’d go.
I have a clipping somewhere from Down Beat Magazine of the time. This link may take you to it:
http://www.google.com/search?q=downbeat%2Bzappa%2Bkirk&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
Yeah that is n the Kuth book too. I think there might be something in The Real FZ book though that is not blessed with an index alas.
Neil Slaven’s biography of Zappa, Electric Don Quixote, also has the Zappa quote above and a section of the Downbeat review.
Montana Wildhack, you can use Vladimir’s index:
http://www.arf.ru/Biblio/rfzb_id.html
BTW, it’s on page 106.
Montana Wildhack, Bengt Lindblad, cekman, moahh – and of course, Barry’s Imaginary Publisher – thank you all for your comments and pointers. I appreciate your help. If I ever do find any clips, I will be back to let y’all know ;-)
…ugh, I didn’t know my little text smile would turn into that evil leering yellow orb. That’ll teach me.
There is a fair bit more Zappa (and Don Preston) in “Bright Moments” plus a part where Kirk’s wife talks about “that one they call a Captain” who used to pop round for a visit.