The musical selections consist of straight-forward, jam session standards ("Lover," "Yesterdays," "There Will Never Be Another You"), bebop classics ("Bag’s Groove," "Blues For Alice," "Milestones") and Kirk originals ("Three for Festival," "Blue Rol"). In characteristic from, Kirk spontaneously switches from tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch and various flutes and whistles. Kirk is seen as a front-man of commanding force, cuing his adept sidemen with both musical and visual nods. Up-tempo selections such as "Milestones" and "There Will Never be Another You" are disc highlights and feature jaw-dropping solo turns with Kirk on tenor.
For all of the hyped-up gimmickry surrounding Kirk's method of blowing two, sometimes three horns at once, and using flutes and whistles for sound effect, the underlying source of his brilliance is rooted in the blues. By melding an understanding of Charlie Parker, Lester Young and a host of other previous saxophone giants, Kirk was able to present an unadulterated, swinging representation of soulful improvisation. The DVD demonstrates how the use of multiple horns becomes a necessary component to the artist's complete vision.
The wonderfully packaged DVD contains an extensive booklet with insightful notes and an interesting collage of Kirk memorabilia.
