Another Blue Note

August 16, 2007 12:10 PM

Max Roach has passed at age 83. The famed drum innovator, composer and educator who came to prominence during the bebop era died last evening at age 83 at home in Manhattan. Known as the pioneer of a technically complex style that allowed for far greater improvisational texture, Max was one of the first drummers to step out from the role as mere timekeeper. His imprint on both the history of jazz and the history of music is indelible.
posted by nonreflectiveobject (53 comments total)

That's a shame. I saw him give a lecture from behind a drum kit when I was at UW-Madison. One of the most entertaining lectures I ever saw.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:14 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by Thorzdad at 12:16 PM on August 16, 2007

I was just on my way here to post this myself.

Roach is one of the unsung jazz greats. It's hard to listen to pop without hearing his influence.
posted by feloniousmonk at 12:23 PM on August 16, 2007

Very good post. Thanks.
posted by nims at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by dersins at 12:32 PM on August 16, 2007

One of the last true old-school jazz giants. God, this is sad. But his music will live on forever. Rest in peace.

Thanks for this post. You are absolutely right on target that his imprint is indelible.
posted by blucevalo at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by peacecorn at 12:38 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by rumposinc at 12:50 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by ob at 12:52 PM on August 16, 2007

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Max Roach is a hero of mine, musically (that's a hi-hat solo for him). An album that always sticks out in my mind as to just how brilliant he was is the Rich vs. Roach album. He takes on the showiest drummer ever and outdoes him with a few hits on a cymbal.

RIP, dear sir.
posted by sleepy pete at 12:58 PM on August 16, 2007

He was a true hero, but I wouldn't call him unsung. He's very well celebrated and deservedly so. If you'll excuse me, At Basin Street is calling my name.
posted by Evstar at 12:59 PM on August 16, 2007

As usual, the YouTubes can show you the action.

I think this is my viewing and listening program for the evening. Especially those double bills with Abbey Lincoln.
posted by ardgedee at 1:13 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by mike3k at 1:14 PM on August 16, 2007

Money Jungle holds a special place for me, and it's what really turned me on to Max Roach.
RIP.
posted by Hadroed at 1:15 PM on August 16, 2007

Can they make periods any bigger? Gosh I adored him.

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posted by Dantien at 1:22 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by indiebass at 1:47 PM on August 16, 2007

The stuff he did with Eric Dolphy and Booker Little is out of this world. I'll be spinning "Percussion Bittersweet" late into the night this evening.

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posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 1:49 PM on August 16, 2007

I had the good fortune to interview Max Roach in the late 80s when he was touring with the Double Quartet featuring his daughter Maxine. He was a warm and gracious man to a star struck young reporter.

I've always treasured the memory.
posted by LinnTate at 2:10 PM on August 16, 2007

Damn. I saw him with Cecil Taylor a few years ago, and he had the energy and stamina of a guy in his 20s. One of the most amazing drummers I've seen, and quite a mensch as well. Rest in peace, Max, and thanks for the post, nonreflectiveobject.

And yeah, "unsung" is hardly a word you could apply to Max Roach.
posted by languagehat at 2:18 PM on August 16, 2007

Salt peanuts! Salt peanuts!
posted by basicchannel at 2:20 PM on August 16, 2007

Listened to Max Roach back when I did night maintenance at McD's...

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posted by KokuRyu at 2:45 PM on August 16, 2007

8226;
posted by QuietDesperation at 3:15 PM on August 16, 2007

(meant to be the largest period I could find for a percussion great).
posted by QuietDesperation at 3:16 PM on August 16, 2007

So the last man of the classic Charlie Parker Quintet passes. Sad, sad day. Is bebop dead, now?
posted by paulsc at 3:22 PM on August 16, 2007

paulsc - no, it most certainly is not dead - for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the Bird Lives.

More to the point, though:


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posted by fingers_of_fire at 3:43 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by chillmost at 3:51 PM on August 16, 2007

He was a great drummer, and a his groundbreaking Freedom Now Suite (which featured vocalist Abbey Lincoln) is a landmark in powerful, political jazz statements.

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posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:00 PM on August 16, 2007

A huge hero of mine. As a kid I got my hands on a copy of To The Max. It was cheesy as hell, but man it rocked my world!

The song Drums Unlimited is a long amazing solo piece. Well worth checking out.
posted by crawfishpopsicle at 5:19 PM on August 16, 2007

Ditto to everything above. Genius. Also batshit crazy, which may be part & parcel of genius.
posted by mattholomew at 5:23 PM on August 16, 2007

Actually it was Self Portrait I was thinking of.
posted by crawfishpopsicle at 5:24 PM on August 16, 2007

When this product was introduced some years back, I have to say I was pretty appalled. I mean, there's no way they didn't get that from the man's name. No way.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:32 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by Wolof at 6:02 PM on August 16, 2007

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What a sharp musician. If anyone knows of some good interviews, please post away. Money Jungle is amazing, one of my favorite jazz trio records. His all-percussion group M'Boom, especially Live at S.O.B.'s, is also great.
posted by mediareport at 6:29 PM on August 16, 2007

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One of the few real innovators, and there are just about none left now in jazz. The stuff Max did early on behind Bird and Diz, et al in the 40s was completely revolutionary, and it remains an inspiration.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 6:46 PM on August 16, 2007

If anyone knows of some good interviews, please post away.

No interview, but TONS of great photos, drum solo videoclips and audioclips at the Max Roach Drummerworld pages: page 1 and page 2.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:54 PM on August 16, 2007

BOP!
posted by 4Lnqvv at 7:57 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by jivesoul at 8:30 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by Ickster at 8:38 PM on August 16, 2007

As usual, the YouTubes can show you the action.

I think this is my viewing and listening program for the evening. Especially those double bills with Abbey Lincoln.

+1

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posted by LinusMines at 8:44 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by paulus andronicus at 9:54 PM on August 16, 2007

We lost Herb Pomeroy on Saturday. He was 77.

This has been a sad week for jazz.
posted by cribcage at 11:01 PM on August 16, 2007

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posted by Silky Slim at 12:35 AM on August 17, 2007

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posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 1:06 AM on August 17, 2007

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posted by Mblue at 5:09 AM on August 17, 2007

there are just about none left now in jazz.

Not true, and Max wouldn't have approved of using his passing as a stick to beat jazz with. There are plenty of innovators; it's just that (as always) few people pay attention to them while they're innovating. How many people do you think were aware of bebop while it was being created?
posted by languagehat at 5:16 AM on August 17, 2007

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posted by effwerd at 5:26 AM on August 17, 2007

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posted by motty at 5:46 AM on August 17, 2007

Not true, and Max wouldn't have approved of using his passing as a stick to beat jazz with. There are plenty of innovators; it's just that (as always) few people pay attention to them while they're innovating. How many people do you think were aware of bebop while it was being created?

I disagree. When bebop was being created jazz was hugely popular. Jazz clubs were everywhere and were packed with people back then. Look around, how many jazz clubs do you see today? Portland, which has quite a lot of musicians, has one full time jazz club. Jazz gets further way from mainstream culture with the death of every legend.

I love jazz, especially live jazz, and there are very very few people that I would go see any more. Max may not like it, but part of jazz will be buried with him.
posted by crawfishpopsicle at 9:10 AM on August 17, 2007

Jazz was hugely popular when be-bop was created, but it didn't sound anything like be-bop - it was Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman and Stan Kenton, etc. Great music, to be sure, but quite different from be-bop. People DANCED to it. It was POP music. Say what you will about be-bop - I love it, play it, and studied it for 10 years - but you can't dance to it. It is NOT pop music. And it was pretty radical in its day.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:25 AM on August 17, 2007

No, it's not pop music, but there was a venue for it. Bebop was born in clubs, not in concert halls and class rooms which is where jazz lives today.
posted by crawfishpopsicle at 10:05 AM on August 17, 2007

When bebop was being created jazz was hugely popular.

But as fingers_of_fire says, bebop was not.

Look around, how many jazz clubs do you see today? Portland, which has quite a lot of musicians, has one full time jazz club.

Dude, no offense, but Portland is not exactly known as a hotbed of jazz. Move to NYC and see if you can count the clubs. And that's where jazz lives to this day; the concert halls and classrooms are just where it's reproduced and studied. You might as well live in Hawai'i and claim apples are dying out because you don't see them growing around where you are.
posted by languagehat at 10:39 AM on August 17, 2007

There was a time when all major cities in the country, Portland included, had jazz clubs. When I lived in LA a few years back there were about 4 real jazz clubs left (although the Jazz Bakery is more like a warehouse church than a jazz club). Like most of the big cities back in the day, LA had tons of jazz clubs.

If NYC is still producing innovative jazz that is going in directions music has never been in, please post who these people are! I would love to get hip to some fresh talent.
posted by crawfishpopsicle at 10:55 AM on August 18, 2007

WKCR is playing all his stuff without a repeat for the next week or so. Too bad that Clifford Brown died so soon after Max and he started working together.
posted by hortense at 4:30 PM on August 20, 2007