sax, 1935-1977 US
Musician
A.k.a. Ronald Theodore Kirk Roland Kirk
Theoshis Tannis was a pseudonym used by Roland Kirk (born August 7, 1935, Columbus, Ohio, USA - died December 5, 1977, Bloomington, Indiana, USA) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He is known for being a blind jazz saxophonist who could play more than one wind instrument at once. He played a number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone and two obscure saxophones: the stritch and the manzello. He modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique. The idea of playing more than one saxophone at the same time occurred to him in a dream and he set out to make it a reality. He is also noted for his circular breathing technique and was reportedly able to sustain a note for over an hour. Around 1970, he added "Rahsaan" to his name after hearing it in a dream.