Resonance Records is set to unveil a rare, previously unheard live performance by Rahsaan Roland Kirk — Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate — as a two-LP RSD Black Friday exclusive on November 28, 2025. Captured in 1963 at New York’s iconic Village Gate, the recording showcases Kirk in ferocious, imaginative form, supported by bassist Henry Grimes, drummer Sonny Brown, and an unusual rotation of pianists: Horace Parlan, Melvin Rhyne, and a young Jane Getz. A deluxe CD edition follows on December 5.
Released with the blessing of Dorthaan Kirk, the musician’s widow, the set presents Kirk wielding his signature arsenal of reeds and flute with explosive creativity. The package includes extensive liner notes by biographer John Kruth, heartfelt remembrances from Getz and Dorthaan Kirk, and tributes from James Carter, Steve Turre, Chico Freeman, Adam Dorn, and novelist May Cobb. Restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans, the LP edition arrives on 180-gram vinyl pressed by Le Vinylist in Quebec.
The tapes themselves have a miraculous backstory. In 1963, a now-unknown filmmaker began work on a documentary about Kirk and hired engineer Ivan Berger to capture performances at the Village Gate. The filmmaker died before the project could be completed, and the recordings remained untouched for decades. Sixty years later, Berger resurfaced the tapes, sparking the release. “Yet another story of how important recordings were made, lost and through some miracle eventually came to light,” says Resonance co-president and producer Zev Feldman.
Dorthaan Kirk expresses both pride and joy at the release: “I am elated that this music will be out for the world to hear… his name is probably right up there with Coltrane or Dizzy.” Kruth highlights the historic venue itself, recalling how the Gate consistently inspired artists — from Nina Simone and Bill Evans to Monk and Albert Ayler — to bring their best. Now, this recording captures Kirk (still pre-“Rahsaan”) doing the same.
Getz remembers the night vividly: visiting Grimes at the club, being invited to sit in, and feeling immediately at ease with Kirk’s warmth and intuition. James Carter calls Kirk “a walking miracle,” marveling at how his visual impairment seemed only to intensify his creative energy. Chico Freeman recounts a life-changing lesson Kirk taught him onstage — calling Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” when Freeman least expected it — a challenge that became a formative push. Turre emphasizes Kirk’s unifying spirit, while Adam Dorn notes how proudly his late father, producer Joel Dorn, would have embraced this release. Cobb frames the album as fueling a “Rahsaainasance,” nurturing the legacy Dorthaan has long protected.
Alongside this major discovery, Resonance will issue another Kirk rarity for RSD Black Friday: Seek and Listen: Live at the Penthouse (1967), also as a 2-LP exclusive. Together, the releases illuminate an artist whose boundless imagination and humanity continue to resonate across generations.
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