Fresh bright moments are set to be added to the extraordinary discography of Rahsaan Roland Kirk with the November 28, 2025, release of Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse, a two-LP set capturing jubilant, previously unreleased performances from 1967. The album, an exclusive RSD Black Friday release from Resonance Records, was produced in collaboration with Dorthaan Kirk of the musician’s estate and Jim Wilke and Charlie Puzzo, Jr. of the Penthouse, a legendary Seattle jazz club. This release continues a long-running relationship between the Penthouse and Resonance co-president Zev Feldman, who has previously issued unheard recordings by Les McCann, the Three Sounds, Wes Montgomery, and the Wynton Kelly Trio.
The performances on Seek & Listen showcase Kirk at his inventive peak, blazing through originals like “Now Please Don’t You Cry Beautiful Edith” and expansive interpretations ranging from a Duke Ellington medley to Bobbie Gentry’s then-new hit “Ode to Billie Joe.” Kirk’s astonishing double-blowing and circular breathing techniques on multiple horns—including the manzello and stritch—are complemented by pianist Rahn Burton, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps. The recordings have been sonically restored and remastered by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Le Vinylist in Quebec. A CD edition will follow on December 5.
The expansive release package includes extensive liner notes by Kirk biographer John Kruth, reflections from novelist Mary Cobb, memories from bassist Steve Novosel, and appreciations from saxophonists James Carter and Chico Freeman, as well as trombonist Steve Turre. Feldman recalls first hearing these recordings around 2010 or 2011, noting, “They are full of so much energy, passion and charisma that Rahsaan magically creates. It is playing at a monumentally high level.” Wilke adds, “I had great admiration for him as a scholar, as well as a musician,” while Puzzo says, “To see these live sets of recordings from the Penthouse become available now on vinyl and CD is a dream come true.”
Kirk’s widow, Dorthaan, reflects, “Rahsaan’s true legacy is his music. He made a whole lot of people happy through his music. His music is going to live on. I’m always amazed at the young people who have continued to discover him over the years.” John Kruth highlights Kirk’s singular talents: “Roland Kirk was both a great and greatly misunderstood musician, a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who expressed himself through a homemade sonic toolkit that included tenor sax, the manzello, and the stritch…He also was a hell of a clarinet player, winning the DownBeat poll in that category year after year.”
Novosel remembers the spontaneity of performing with Kirk: “The whole time I was with Roland, it was a trip because you never knew what was going to happen. We never had any music to read. I learned all the songs on the bandstand, just playing for the first time.” Carter emphasizes Kirk’s jaw-dropping abilities: “He could not only play three horns at once and sound like a saxophone section, he could also alternate between two horns and sound like two different people trading phrases.” Turre adds, “I got from Rahsaan the idea that jazz music in particular is something that brings all people together…He could tell just by the tone of a person’s voice whether their spirit was right or not.” Novelist Mary Cobb observes Kirk’s creative genius: “Perhaps no other musician has lived more fully in the world of sound…He played music, because he had to.”
In addition to Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse, Resonance Records will also issue Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate, an explosive previously unissued 1963 performance by Kirk, also as a two-LP RSD Black Friday set.