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.[2]

Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata
Studio album by Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Released	1971
Recorded	January 26 & February 4, 1971
Genre	Jazz
Label	Atlantic
Rahsaan Roland Kirk chronology
Rahsaan Rahsaan (1970) Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata (1971) Blacknuss (1972)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Releases and reception

The album was originally released by Atlantic Records.[2] It was first released on CD in 1998, by 32 Records.[3] The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "The performances are episodic and colorful with plenty of humor and adventurous moments, worthy of repeated listenings and amazement".[1] The JazzTimes wrote that Kirk "forces the listener to hear his multi-horn free associations and his serpentine asides not as charming, off-center diversions, but as pointedly structuralist works".[4]

Track listing

All compositions by Rahsaan Roland Kirk except as indicated.

1. "Something for Trane That Trane Could Have Said" - 3:08
2. "Island Cry" - 3:54
3. "Runnin' from the Trash" - 2:16
4. "Day Dream" (Duke Ellington, John Latouche, Billy Strayhorn) - 3:42
5. "The Ragman and the Junkman Ran from the Businessman They Laughed and He Cried" - 3:04
6. "Breath-A-Thon" - 1:55
7. "Rahsaanica" - 3:43
8. "Raped Voices" - 1:47
9. "Haunted Feelings" - 2:27
10. "Prelude Back Home" - 3:45
11. "Dance of the Lobes" - 2:06
12. "Harder and Harder Spiritual" - 2:35
13. "Black Root (Back to the Root)" - 3:17

Source:[1]

• Recorded at Regent Sound Studios, NYC, January 26 (tracks 1-3, 5, & 7-12) and February 4 (tracks 4, 6 & 13), 1971[2]

Personnel

• Roland Kirk: tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, black mystery pipes, harmonium, piccolo, bass drum, thundersheet, cymbals, bells, music box, palms, timpani, gong, bird sounds
• Maurice McKinley; drums
• Joe Habad Texidor: tambourine, triangle, washboard, thundersheet
• Sonelius Smith: piano (tracks 4, 6, 13)

Source:[2]

References