The synopsis of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s life is one of those inspirational stories that speaks volumes of persistence through adversity. Despite being blind, and later paralysed, the Ohio-born jazz player was able to command any instrument he touched – often several simultaneously – and graduated from prodigy to virtuoso in the world of avant-garde improvisation. Often partial to satire and political ranting in his preferred role as band leader, he also played alongside luminaries like Quincy Jones and Charles Mingus. Gaining an online release in May 2016, nearly 40 years after his death, the biopic The Case of the Three Sided Dream has attracted a wealth of prestigious award nominations for bringing Kirk back into the limelight, and its debut Manchester screening features this August at Band on the Wall.
Thu 25 Aug, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JZ, 7pm, £6, www.bandonthewall.org
- Words:
- Ian Pennington
- Published on:
- Mon 22 Aug 2016
