The O'Zone: Prepare Thyself to deal with a Miracle! The Bright Moments of the Eulipion!
The first song I ever played on KUVO JAZZ was Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Theme For the Eulipions.” It formed me as a journey agent and informed me as a radio host.
I realized that my poetry brain and my music brain were usable together, and so I became.
He didn’t use a cane
He didn’t have a seeing eye assistant
He didn’t embrace helplessness
He didn’t call anyone else helpless
Playing all that hardware
Without stopping for a breath
Heroic and super heroic
Don’t make the spectacle the content
Don’t reduce it to a gimmick
A circus act
Juggling two handfuls of brass.
WHILE BLIND!
We spoke about that.
We are all miraculous
He was a little bit moreso
There was confidence that comes with talent
Rahsaan remained humble,
“I talk with the spirits”
He would say
He stood up for others rights
Outspoken on treatment of the blind
“Nobody wants to even think of blind people
As people
When he had a stroke
He reconvened and learned to play without his left hand
Had his tenor altered to play all the same notes
Single handed.
My poem above is a true story. After suffering a stroke, he played his music with one hand. Betty Neals, the poet, wrote the spoken word piece featured on the track below to describe meeting Kirk at the airport while on a layover, playing his harmonica. They come from his album Return of the 5,000lb Man.
Presented below is more of my poetic interpretation of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s gargantuan essence and influence.
He was born in the shadows
Not sightless but not seeing
He was accustomed to light and dark
The medicine took away the sight it was made to give.
Kirk lived in Flytown, Columbus
Studied at the Ohio State School for the Blind.
“Sit him down over there!
Like a dog”
“My blindness is part of my identity”
“I’m not handicapped I just don’t see too well”
Dream Religion somnambulist sacraments
Call me Rahsaan…Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Dig the rhythm of the name
Three words, six horns, hearing his way around.
Deal with the miracle!!!
Puzzled why they so hung up on sight
But LOOK! He’s playing Three horns!
They thought he was blind, crazy and dangerous.
And BLACK!
Rahsaan was dangerous
Subverting the perceptions
Helpless, powerless, weakness
Circular breathing
Circular breathing
Circular
Breathing
Bright Moments in the Blacknuss
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was the history and future
Black Classical Music
A dahshiki, a top hat, wrap around shades
Manzello, stritch, C Melody and tenor sax
Flute and whistle and flute some more
“While most remember Rahsaan Roland Kirk for his musical prowess, I think his most important contribution to American music and African American culture is his vision.” — Dr. Mark A. Lomax II
Vision over sight
Lacking sight does not mean
Lacking vision
Loving to laugh does not mean
Loving derision
He knew what he looked like
His appearance was his idea
You never forgot him
If you came to watch him break up a chair
You missed the genius with three horns
Speaking language with impressions
What did you think of that?
He was a Eulipion
A Journey Agent.
He was here to bring change
Pay attention to the funny man
And you’ll miss the civil rights leader
Agents of change
Bringers of light
Eulipions bringing joy and comfort
Comfort and Joy
A smile for a traveller
To ease the feel of the road on a weary shoulder
A song, a poem, a story
The Duty free gift that gets you through a tough day
“When I die, I want them to play
The Black and Crazy Blues,
I want to be cremated, put in a bag of pot
and I want beautiful people to smoke me
And hope they get something out of it.”
— Rahsaan Roland Kirk
“Keep searching for your mystery note on the universal piano of life.” — Rahsaan Roland Kirk
“His performance with Frank Zappa was one of the most exciting moments of my life. It was sensational.” — George Wein
“Kirk mortgaged his life in order to create the sounds that he heard in his head and felt in his soul.” — Steve Turre (band member)
“This man is what jazz is all about. He’s real!” — Charles Mingus
“I wish we could just stay on the bandstand, it’s so peaceful up there” — Rahsaan Roland Kirk
“ALL IT IS, IS A TONE. SO I’M GONNA COME BACK AS A NOTE…” — Rahsaan Roland Kirk
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