Rating: 
Summary: A "must" read for all Roland Kirk fans!
Review: John Kruth's Bright Moments covers the life of jazz avant garde musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk, providing the first biography of the musician in print and examining his works and life. Three years of interviews and research contribute to a title packed with anecdotes and insights.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointed
Review: Like many other readers, I was quite excited to see a book on Rahsaan, a long-time musical hero. However, I can't agree more with the Kirkus review; this is one long, rambling book without focus. I'm only 1/3 of the way thru & may not even finish it. Kirk's is a great story but it's not here.
Rating: 
Summary: A start on documenting a remarkable life
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a Bright Moment
Review: Mr. Kruth has done all of us who have enjoyed the music of Rahsaaan Roland Kirk a great service. Articles in magazines and album liner notes simply aren't able to give a full insite into an artists life. Mr. kruth's book has done that and more. I spent a entire Saturday reading the book from cover to cover, and I'll tell you this: I thoroughly enjoyed that saturday!Truly a Bright Moment.
Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: Sorry to say, this biography is not very well written. I love Rahsaan's music and I was excited to learn more about his life as well as his art. I didn't really get much information from this book. Somebody noted that it seems like a three hundred page magazine article, and that about nails it. Yes, also as noted- there are endless (and VERY repetitious) quotes from just about everyone the author could interview. There is no real structure or organization to this book. And it is kind of a 'puff-piece', offering no critique or analysis of Kirk's work. There is no examination of his method of working. If you're a fan, it's the only real option since there are no other books about this great musician. For the price of this book you can buy a couple Kirk cds. Do that and find this book at the library.
Rating:
Summary: Not very enlightening...sadly
Review: Sorry to say, this biography is not very well written. I love Rahsaan's music and I was excited to learn more about his life as well as his art. I didn't really get much information from this book. Somebody noted that it seems like a three hundred page magazine article, and that about nails it. Yes, also as noted- there are endless (and VERY repetitious) quotes from just about everyone the author could interview. There is no real structure or organization to this book. And it is kind of a 'puff-piece', offering no critique or analysis of Kirk's work. There is no examination of his method of working. If you're a fan, it's the only real option since there are no other books about this great musician. For the price of this book you can buy a couple Kirk cds. Do that and find this book at the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother
Review: This is the worst Jazz biography that I have ever read. It's basically a collection of quotes from various individuals - some knew Kirk; others did not - whose message is, "Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a genius." Well, duh. It never digs any deeper than that. What a waste. You'll learn more about the man by reading the liner notes from his recordings. So buy his recordings now!
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: This is the worst Jazz biography that I have ever read. It's basically a collection of quotes from various individuals - some knew Kirk; others did not - whose message is, "Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a genius." Well, duh. It never digs any deeper than that. What a waste. You'll learn more about the man by reading the liner notes from his recordings. So buy his recordings now!
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: This is the worst Jazz biography that I have ever read. It's basically a collection of quotes from various individuals - some knew Kirk; others did not - whose message is, "Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a genius." Well, duh. It never digs any deeper than that. What a waste. You'll learn more about the man by reading the liner notes from his recordings. So buy his recordings now!
Rating:
Summary: Reads & Deeds Indeed!
Review: To all Roland Kirk fanatics: PLEASE--ignore what Kirkus Reviews has to say! Yes, this isn't exactly the best-edited book in the world, and the copyediting is sometimes atrocious. But this is THE ONLY BOOK ABOUT RAHSAAN available to us! It's filled with essential information, and any self-respecting RRK lover will buy the book regardless of what ANYONE writes here. GET IT NOW!
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