eBook Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk ePub

I applaud and thank Mr. Kruth for being the one to finally get down to business and try and write a book on this great man. However, what I feel to be a fairly disorganized book, with amateurish writing, predominantly conveyed though a "fan's" voice (with Rahsaan as musical "hero") ultimately does not measure up to the enormous contribution Rahsaan Roland Kirk made both as a musician and as a human spirit walking this earth, spreading the gospel of truth and love. I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone from reading this book - for those who don't know anything about Rahsaan or his music, this may very well be their introduction. But some of us needed a book that would try to go deeper. It's great to hear Sonny Rollins, a peer of Rahsaan's and a musical giant as well, give the man his "props", but Mr. Kruth seemingly chose to include the comments of any and everybody who had even the slightest bit of contact with the man. Indeed, the expressions of astonishment over Rahsaan's virtuosity (as well as his sometimes outrageousness) became redundant and rather tedious to read after awhile. What I hoped for from this book was a crucial (and critical) biography which would tell the STORY of this strange and wonderful character, and one which would "fill in the holes". What I read was (mostly) a well-intentioned but fairly messy book of tributes, which therefore fell short of the mark for me. However, if it will get more people listening to Rahsaan, more power to it. It sure made me pull my Rahsaan records off the shelf!

Forget the niggling, critical reviews. If it's a literary masterpiece you're looking for, read Shakespeare. Rahsaan Roland Kirk fans, however, will be grateful to John Kruth for his hard work and dedication in gathering insightful glimpses into the life of this enigmatic genius through the narratives of those who knew him best.

Charges that Kruth has written a hagiography or "puff piece" are unfounded. Although he is obviously an unbridled Kirk enthusiast, he does not hide the fact that Rahsaan had an overly defensive, contentious, and often abrasive side.

Yes, we want to know more about personal relationships, e.g., with his son Rory and first wife Edith. True enough, there are elements of redundancy to be found within the 400+ pages. But then again, breathing is redundant yet essential to us jazz fans...and others.

Read Bright Moments while listening to your favorite Roland Kirk CDs and it will all come to life.

Great insight to the man.

This book is amazing IF you can find a copy and know who Rasaan Roland Kirk is. If you don't, find out about his bright moments and his music. This artist deserves more, what a spirit and soul.

Only an accomplished musician and artist such as John Kruth could write this book. By mining from a rich supply of interviews and anecdotes from some of the greatest jazz musicians, artists, and producers, Mr. Kruth fashions a vibrant and vivid portrait of the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk. There are so many delicious stories and turn of phrases in this book that you will find yourself either running to YouTube to see the performances he mentions, laughing out loud, reflective, or simply grinning broadly in gratitude.

A word of advice: approach this book like a fine piece of live jazz. Let it wash over you and go along for the ride.

This is a book which will allow you a glimpse into the world of a genius musician, of a man who could appreciate sound to a level unattainable for most of us humans.

P.S. This review is for the second edition of Bright Moments.

Most of the remarks about this book are, to me, puzzling and seem to indicate that the readers don't know very much about the musical life of this great artist.
Musical biographies should do one thing: shed light on what in the artist's life led to his or her particular conception. Do I care who Rahsaan's parents were? What they did? What kind of food his sister liked? Not necessarily; only in connection to the work that he ultimately produced. We should also ask, of course, why we should care about the artist's contributions to music as a whole, and his or her effect on society at large. Kruth attempts to do both.
He chooses to treat his subject primarily from the vantage point of the musicians who influenced him and the people upon whom he had an influence. Not surprisingly, the opinions expressed are strong, and mostly favorable. Anyone who reads the book should have no doubt as to the force of Rahsaan's music and the forces of the mid to late '60s that helped produce it. Rahsaan emerged as a musical hero to many of us who came of age during that time when music seemed to be, as Coltrane said, "a force for real good." How strange that sounds in 2004.
The latter, then, may be the greatest flaw of the book. Those, like me, who saw Rahsaan perform and who own most, if not all, of his recorded music, will understand the testimonials to the power of his art and the force of his personality. Those who haven't bothered to investigate his music in depth won't get it. Those who have not listened carefully to his work will not understand the success he had in melding the "black classical music" of jazz, as he called it, with pop influences. In that sense, Kruth may have failed, if his effort is to bring additional listeners to Rahsaan's music.
That said, for me, the book's most compelling messages come from Joel Dorn, the man who produced Rahsaan's greatest records, and who was, in turn, his greatest champion and critic. Dorn points out throughout the book that the justifiable anger Rahsaan held toward the commercialism that helps to control what we listen to was, in some ways, his greatest drawback. Even his closest friends found his deep resentment against mainstream society puzzling, especially, as Dorn points out, because Rahsaan himself was a middle class guy who believed--and succeeded in proving--that the most far-out sounds had strong roots in everyday music of the masses.
It is this last notion that Kruth brings out best in the book, and I value his contribution to jazz biographies because I recognize the voice of a kindred spirit. He hears what I hear in Rahsaan's music. My hope is that others, in reading the book, will find reason to listen.