Polygram Records
1990
"Rahsaan" The Complete Mercury Recordings
About This Album
Rahsaan Roland Kirk's nearly one-dozen long-players on the Mercury Records family of labels -- including the Smash and Limelight subsidiaries -- are gathered on this massive ten-disc compilation. Actually, it is 11 discs if you count the surprise bonus CD. Additionally, Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk lives up to its name by augmenting those albums with more than two-dozen previously unissued sides. Kirk's thoroughly innovative multi-instrumental reed work caught the attention of legendary producer Quincy Jones, then the vice-president of Mercury Records, who signed Kirk and would later arrange and conduct orchestrations for several of his memorable sessions. Perhaps the most recognizable among them is "Soul Bossa Nova" which is heavily featured in the Austin Powers franchise. Kirk's ability to perform several reed instruments -- including the tenor, flute, clarinet, manzello, and stritch -- simultaneously allowed him a musical autonomy few instrumentalists are afforded. His youthful embrace of the R&B, soul, pop, and eventually rock genres produced swinging interpretations of "And I Love Her" and "Walk on By," among others.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,3,4,8,10 and 11)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 4,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,15 and 16)

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Disc 3 (try tracks 8,11 and 12)

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Disc 4 (try tracks 4,5,9,10,11 and 12)

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Disc 5 (try tracks 3 and 7)

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Disc 6 (try tracks 5 and 8)

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Disc 7 (try tracks 1,8,13,15,16 and 17)

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Disc 8 (try tracks 9 and 10)

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Disc 9 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11 and 16)

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Disc 10 (try track 2)

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Disc 11

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