| The Spirits Up Above | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 12, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | May 26, 2004 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 50:20 | |||
| Label | HighNote HCD 7130 | |||
| Producer | Brian Bacchus | |||
| Steve Turre chronology | ||||
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The Spirits Up Above is an album by trombonist Steve Turre recorded in 2004 and released on the HighNote label. [1] [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| All About Jazz | [4] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "Trombonist Steve Turre pays tribute to his former employer, the remarkable multi-reedist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, on this sincere effort. Turre and an all-star group perform nine of Kirk's songs plus the trombonist's "One for Kirk." But although the music is certainly well played, one misses Rahsaan's miraculous innovations ... the craziness and wide-ranging approach of Rahsaan's performances are missing on this rather conventional effort". [3]
On All About Jazz, John Kelman observed "Turre is in a unique position to re-evaluate the music and performances of Kirk, and deliver up The Spirits Up Above, as honest and heartfelt an homage as is possible ... The best music is meant to be a true symbiosis, and The Spirits Up Above goes a long way to breaking down any invisible barriers between those who play and those who listen". [4]
In JazzTimes, Harvey Siders stated "It’s easy to imagine what Kirk found so attractive in Turre’s nascent technique; it must have appealed to Kirk’s desire to spread his personal gospel of “listen to and play all genres.” Ditto for the other players on the disc, particularly Carter, a monster on tenor". [5]
All compositions by Rahsaan Roland Kirk except where noted
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the ability to play several instruments simultaneously.
Stephen Johnson Turre is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For fifty-seven years, Turre has been active in jazz, rock, and Latin jazz – in live venues, recording studios, television, and cinema production.
Volunteered Slavery is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk featuring portions of his 1968 Newport Jazz Festival performance along with studio recordings from July 1969. It was released on the Atlantic label and features performances by Kirk with Rahn Burton, Vernon Martin, Jimmy Hopps and Joseph "Habao" Texidor, Dick Griffin, Charles McGhee, Sonny Brown, Charles Crosby and the "Roland Kirk Spirit Choir".
Uptown/Downtown is a 1988 live album by McCoy Tyner released on the Milestone label, his first for the label since 13th House (1980). It was recorded in November 1988 and features performances by Tyner's Big Band, which included Junior Cook, Ricky Ford, Kamau Adilifu and Steve Turre, recorded at the Blue Note jazz club in New York City. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states that "the results are quite memorable and frequently exciting. Recommended".
Triple Threat is the debut album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk originally released on the King label in July 1957, later re-released on the Bethlehem label as Third Dimension and on the Affinity label as Early Roots. The original album received limited distribution and only became widely known after it was rereleased a few years prior to Kirk's death. It features performances by Kirk with James Madison, Carl Pruitt and Henry Duncan. The album features the first recorded examples of Kirk's trademark playing of multiple wind instruments at the same time as well as two tracks where he overdubbed manzello and tenor saxophone. Kirk would later state that the album "was about the third overdub record in black classical music".
The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk originally released as a double LP, with side 4 appearing blank - although side 4 did have a hidden track, the contents of which are released as track #20 on the CD rerelease. It features performances by Kirk with Pat Patrick, Hilton Ruiz, Richard Tee, Arthur Jenkins, Cornell Dupree, Keith Loving, Hugh McCracken, Francisco Centeno, Henry Pearson, Bill Salter, Sonny Brown, Steve Gadd, John Goldsmith, Lawrence Killian, Ralph MacDonald and arrangements by William Eaton.
Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real is the final album recorded by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk with string section and orchestra. It was recorded following a stroke which left him partially paralysed.
Kirkatron is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975 and studio sessions from 1975 and 1976.
Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk with accompaniment by drummer Maurice McKinley and percussionist Joseph "Habao" Texidor, and with Sonelius Smith on piano on three tracks.
Bright Moments is a live album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk with Ron Burton, Todd Barkan, Henry Mattathias Pearson, Robert Shy and Joe "Habao" Texidor recorded at Keystone Korner, San Francisco, in June 1973.
Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring performances by Kirk with Charles McGhee, Dick Griffin, Harry Smiles, Sanford Allen, Julien Barber, Selwart Clarke, Gayle Dixon, Al Brown, Kermit Moore, Rahn Burton, Henry Mattathias Pearson, Robert Shy, Sonny Brown, Ralph MacDonald, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jeanne Lee.
A Meeting of the Times is an album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and vocalist Al Hibbler recorded in March 1972 in New York City. It features performances by Kirk and Hibbler with Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Grady Tate with an additional track recorded by Kirk with Leon Thomas, Lonnie Liston Smith, Major Holley and Charles Crosby from the sessions that produced Here Comes the Whistleman (1965).
The Jaki Byard Experience is an album by jazz pianist Jaki Byard, originally released on the Prestige label in 1968, featuring performances by Byard with Roland Kirk, Richard Davis and Alan Dawson.
Mingus at Carnegie Hall is a live album by jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus recorded at Carnegie Hall in January 1974 by Mingus with Jon Faddis, Charles McPherson, John Handy, George Adams, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Hamiet Bluiett, Don Pullen, and Dannie Richmond.
Bright Moments is an album by American jazz drummer Max Roach recorded in 1986 for the Italian Soul Note label.
Phantasies II is an album by the American jazz pianist Jaki Byard with the Apollo Stompers, recorded in 1988 and released on the Italian Soul Note label. The album follows Byard's big band tributes album Phantasies (1984).
Rosewood is an album led by trumpter Woody Shaw which was recorded in 1977 and released on the Columbia label in 1978.
For Sure is an album led by trumpeter Woody Shaw which was recorded in 1979 and released on the Columbia label.
Keep the Spirits Singing is an album by saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman recorded in 2000 and released on the HighNote label the following year.
More Than a Mood is an album by saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded in 1992 and released by the MusicMasters label.