Max Roach

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Biography

Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 - August 16, 2007) to parents Alphonse and Cressie Roach. He was a world-class percussionist, drummer, and jazz composer.

In 1952 Roach co-founded Debut Records with bassist Charles Mingus. This label released a record of a concert, billed and widely considered as “the greatest concert ever,” called “Jazz at Massey Hall,” featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Mingus and Roach. Also released on this label was the groundbreaking bass-and-drum free improvisation, “Percussion Discussion.”

In 1954, he formed a quintet featuring trumpeter Clifford Brown, tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell (brother of Bud Powell), and bassist George Morrow, though Land left the following year and Sonny Rollins replaced him. The group was a prime example of the hard bop style also played by Art Blakey and Horace Silver. Tragically, this group was to be short-lived; Brown and Powell were killed in a car accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in June 1956. After Brown and Powell’s deaths, Roach continued leading a similarly configured group, with Kenny Dorham (and later the short-lived Booker Little) on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor and pianist Ray Bryant. Roach expanded the standard form of hard-bop using 3/4 waltz rhythms and modality in 1957 with his album Jazz In 3/4 Time. During this period, Roach recorded a series of other albums for the EmArcy label featuring the brothers Stanley and Tommy Turrentine.
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  • nacht_vogel

    We Insist is absolutely ground breaking material!

    23 Apr 2:38pm Reply

  • Sooperglitcher

    Legendary musician. January V is deep and special.

    5 Apr 1:22am Reply

  • TheFructose

    The man was so good he made George Russell give up the drums!

    30 Aug 2012 Reply

  • D-A-N-

    I believe Parisian Sketches was recorded in 1960. not sure when it was officially released though.

    17 Nov 2011 Reply

  • stupidstuff

    I recently heard Max's Parisian Sketches, an album I enjoyed greatly. The most interesting track for me is Liberte, which is an instrumental version of the We Insist! song Freedom Day. It brings about a question though - when were these two albums released? Allmusic has both albums being issued in 1960 while RYM has We Insist! as 1961 and Parisian Sketches 1962.

    8 Oct 2011 Reply

  • SpaceLoneliness

    percussion bitter sweet = it's time > we insist!

    1 Jul 2011 Reply

  • incubatetilburg

    Hi-hat solo by Max Roach: http://inlog.org/2011/03/07/watch-jazz-drummer-max-roach-with-hi-hat-solo/

    8 Mar 2011 Reply

  • Muskiato

    miticoooooo..........

    2 Mar 2011 Reply

  • THee-BeAtNiK

    Amazing.

    16 Feb 2011 Reply

  • JBarracudaL

    Certainly one of my favorite drummers ever.

    13 Jan 2011 Reply

  • b4knowing

    max roach park in brixton!!

    8 Nov 2010 Reply

  • Afuera

    i have it on vinyl. Insane record!

    5 Jul 2010 Reply

  • shamatha-x

    cool D.A.R.E. shirt bro.

    29 Apr 2010 Reply

  • insomniacme

    oh key ....

    29 Mar 2010 Reply

  • oseland

    1. wtf are you talking about iriihuto? he did not say anything about anyone not being free 2. slavery is far from abolished 3. only the free and equal are born free and equal. billions live their entire lives with little to no freedom. people are only equal at a high level of abstraction.

    17 Feb 2010 Reply

  • iriihutoR48

    That was a racist thing of you to say, semenretentum! All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights. Slavery was abolished a long time ago and I think you need to bring your ass to the 21st century!

    26 Dec 2009 Reply

  • solartarkovski

    Esse era tão bom q nenhuma bateria era a melhor para ele tocar. O som que sai da bateria desse doente não sai de bateria alguma.

    22 Mar 2009 Reply

  • MirkoFait

    I like his music and energy :)

    19 Feb 2009 Reply

  • jasperdelmonte

    it's christmas again is an amazing record.

    12 Feb 2009 Reply

  • Bbwefunk

    Max gave all the drummers some, melody.

    1 Feb 2009 Reply
    • All 52 shouts

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