A Meeting of the Times explained

A Meeting of the Times
Type:	studio
Artist:	Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Cover:	A Meeting of the Times.jpg
Recorded:	March 14, 1965; March 30 & 31, 1972
Genre:	Jazz
Length:	37:36
Label:	Atlantic
Prev Title:	Blacknuss
Prev Year:	1971
Next Title:	Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle
Next Year:	1973

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, and released in December of that year.^[1] 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).^[2]

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states, "On first glance this LP combines together a pair of unlikely musical partners; the unique multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Duke Ellington's former ballad singer Al Hibbler. However Rahsaan was very well acquainted with Ellington's music and he plays respectfully behind Hibbler on many of the standards, taking the wild 'Carney and Bigard Place' as an instrumental. Hibbler (who did not record much this late in his career) is in good voice and phrases as eccentrically as ever".^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz gives the album a four star rating (of a possible four) plus a special "Crown" accolade.^[4]

Track listing

1. "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" (Duke Ellington, Bob Russell) – 4:38
2. "Daybreak" (Ellington, John Latouche, Billy Strayhorn) – 3:12
3. "Lover, Come Back to Me" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg) – 3:48
4. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (Ellington, Russell) – 2:53
5. "This Love of Mine" (Sol Parker, Henry W. Sanicola, Jr., Frank Sinatra) – 4:55
6. "Carney and Bigard Place" (Roland Kirk) – 5:34
7. "I Didn't Know About You" (Ellington, Russell) – 4:01
8. "Something 'Bout Believing" (Ellington) – 6:05
9. "Dream" (Kirk) – 2:30
   • Recorded at Atlantic Studios, NY on March 30 (tracks 2–4 & 8) & March 31 (tracks 1 & 5–7), 1972
   • and track 9 recorded live in New York City on March 14, 1965

Personnel

• Rahsaan Roland Kirk

tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, flute, clarinet, baritone saxophone

• Al Hibbler

vocals (tracks 1–5, 7 & 8)

• Hank Jones

piano (tracks 1–8)

• Ron Carter

bass (tracks 1–8)

• Grady Tate

drums (tracks 1–8)

• Leon Thomas

vocals (track 9)

• Lonnie Liston Smith

piano (track 9)

• Major Holley

bass (track 9)

• Charles Crosby: drums (track 9)

Notes and References

1. Special Merit Picks . Billboard . 52 . 1972-12-16 . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . en.
2. http://www.jazzdisco.org/roland-kirk/catalog/#atlantic-sd-1630 Rahsaan Roland Kirk discography
3. Yanow, S. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r25310|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic Review] accessed 20 August 2009
4. Book: Cook, Richard. Richard Cook (journalist). Morton, Brian. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. 1992. 9th. The Penguin Guide to Jazz. 2008. Penguin. New York. 978-0-14-103401-0. 829. Brian Morton (Scottish writer).