Search - Rahsaan Roland Kirk :: Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve: The Warner Brothers Recordings

Best compilation of his Warner Bros. recordings

Derrick A. Smith | USA | 07/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This distillation of Rah's last 3 albums predated 32 Records' A STANDING EIGHT by 3 or 4 years, and is likely the best choice of that material, as Joel Dorn himself compiled a single disc of what he considered the best moments from those final recordings, bookended by previously-unreleased tracks that still can only be found on this disc. (Although I should note that "Thunder and Lightning Goodbye" merges Kirk's medley of "Sentimental Journey" and "Coming Home" - taken from the Vanguard side of RAHSAAN RAHSAAN - with the sounds of a rainstorm.) The first several tracks find Rahsaan as strong as ever, particularly a ferocious live rendition of his signature "Serenade to a Cuckoo" and the dramatic "Theme for the Eulipions", one of his most unique recordings which combines spoken-word passages, atmospheric sounds, a vocal chorus, a female solo vocal, and the playing of the band, in a programmatic fashion. As Dorn explains in his liner notes, it's easier to bemoan Rahsaan's post-stroke debilitation than it is to appreciate the truly "Herculean" comeback. These tracks again feature Kirk the composer, Kirk the multi-instrumentalist, Kirk the saxophone master, and Kirk the keeper of the flame of great Black American music, including Percy Heath (of the MJQ) in the band and recording yet another Ducal tune, "In a Mellow Tone". His use of the toy piano and return to a more basic blues expression speak of his loneliness and return to a core state, producing a music that's both playful and eerie."