Michael J. Agovino interviews Adam Kahan, who made it, in Esquire):
Kirk was really distinctive, in his approach and his sound, but perhaps he was closest in spirit to Charles Mingus (and appears on one of his great albums, Oh Yeah). You included a clip of Charles Mingus as a sideman to Kirk on The Ed Sullivan Show. Did you consider delving more into their relationship?
I would have loved to for sure. And don't forget, we also include Rahsaan playing "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," another Mingus composition. They were truly a pair those two, close in spirit as you say, and a lot came out in interviews about Rahsaan and Mingus. But to your question, really I think it is about what kind of film did I want to make. I didn't want the expected documentary format. It wouldn't have made sense for Rahsaan, who was a perpetual destroyer of the expected. I wanted a more impressionistic and organic film. There are no experts, no Stanley Crouch or Nat Hentoff or Wynton Marsalis, telling us about his life or his musical approach (not that those guys aren't great at what they do). My purpose was really to celebrate Rahsaan Roland Kirk and his legacy, which is largely as a musician and performer. He was a presence, and I wanted his presence to be on screen, above and beyond anyone else, playing his music and telling his story in his own words. [...]
You and the Kirk Estate are exploring a possible biopic, is that right? Which actor, in your mind, would make a great Rahsaan Roland Kirk?
We need a guardian angel to make this happen and I hope he or she is reading. Please get in touch! To answer your question, Dave Chappelle is my number one choice. I'm sure he would kill in a dramatic role. So many great comics have done deep dramatic work, Richard Pryor and Robin Williams to name a few. But if Chappelle isn't available, we'll certainly settle for someone else. There is no shortage of talent, and it would be great to have a juicy leading role to give to one of those great actors out there.
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