We Free Kings  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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We Free Kings is a 1961 LP by the jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk. His group works through a set of bluesy post-bop numbers, including a highly regarded version of Charlie Parker's "Blues for Alice". The title track, a Kirk composition, is a variation on the Christmas carol "We Three Kings".

Reception

The Allmusic review by Lindsay Planer calls the album "among the most consistent of his early efforts. The assembled quartet provides an ample balance of bop and soul compliments to Kirk's decidedly individual polyphonic performance style. His inimitable writing and arranging techniques develop into some great originals, as well as personalize the chosen cover tunes. With a nod to the contemporary performance style of John Coltrane, as well as a measure of his influences — most notably Clifford Brown and Sidney Bechet — Kirk maneuvers into and out of some inspiring situations".

Track listing

All compositions by Roland Kirk except where noted.

1. "Three for the Festival" – 3:10
2. "Moon Song" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) – 4:23
3. "A Sack Full of Soul" – 4:40
4. "The Haunted Melody" – 3:38
5. "Blues for Alice" (Charlie Parker) – 4:08
6. "We Free Kings" – 4:46
7. "You Did It, You Did It" – 2:29
8. "Some Kind of Love" – 6:11
9. "My Delight" – 4:28

• Recorded in New York on August 16, 1961.

CD editions of the album include a different version of "Blues for Alice" (Parker) - 5:11.

Personnel

• Roland Kirk: tenor saxophone, manzello, flute, stritch saxophone
• Richard Wyands: piano (tracks 3-5 & 9)
• Art Davis: double bass (tracks 3-5 & 9)
• Charlie Persip: drums
• Hank Jones: piano (tracks 1-2 & 6-8)
• Wendell Marshall: bass (tracks 1-2 & 6-8)