60. Joshua
That version of the famous spiritual has it all, the soul to heal the pain and the force to crumble down the walls that surround us.
The free jazz vibe is not far, nor is the spirit of John Coltrane who had passed away two years before that 1971 recording, still the gospel remains central.
61. Onomatopeia
In 1970, Max Roach founded a band of percussionists : Roy Brooks, Joe Chambers, Omar Clay, Richard Pablo Landrum, Warren Smith and Freddie Waits to play pure percussion music. There is marimba, vibraphone, a musical saw, bells and congs, congas, and, of course, Roach's drumkit.
This tune, from a live 1973 recording, is a composition by Omar Clay.
To quote a NYT review of a 1986 concert, “The arrangements revealed what percussionists already know - that rhythmic instruments, even such ‘unpitched’ percussion as snare drums and tambourines, have a melodic side, and that there are thousands of ways to be percussive.”
62. Groovin' High
For two nights of May 1975, a band of giants joyfully convened at wonderful “Bop session” to play the music they had contributed to create more than 30 years before.
Dizzy Gillespie leads the band on trumpet, Sonny Stitt is on saxophone, Percy Heath on bass (super-amplified, it seems…), Hank Jones and John Lewis share the piano, and Max Roach on drums.
This track is a composition of Dizzie Gillespie. Its title is well deserved!
63. Heaven Sent
Each track of the 1973 M'Boom's recording has been composed by a different musician. This one is a Roy Brooks composition which features Omar Clay on saw and Joe Chambers on xylophone. Max Roach is on timpani.
64. Lover Man
A quiet ballad from *The Bop Session* recorded in 1975.
Sonny Stitt has a beautifully sugary sound and Dizzy Gillespie fills in some counterpoint.
65. Confirmation
Charlie Parker died on this day, 1955, so why not listening to Max Roach and Parker who had played together since 1945.
This version of Confirmation, a composition by Parker, was recorded in July 1953. With Parker on alto saxophone and Max Roach on drus, we have Al Haig on piano, and Percy Heath on bass.
The precision of the syncopation when Parker plays the melody is stunning.
66. Suid Afrika 76
This tune is taken from a duet recording with saxophonist Archie Shepp.
The album's title, Force, indicates the political position of the musicians. The longest track is an evocation of Chinese communist leader Mao, the other one protests agains the South African apartheid regime that discriminated black people. The album was recorded during the summer, so presumably after the 16th June uprising where 20,000 black students protested and 1,500 were killed by the police repression.
67. Round Midnight
At the end of the 70s, Max Roach shared his work between many duo projects and a new quartet, with Reggie Workman on bass, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Billy Harper on saxophone.
Tonight, we listen to a live recording by this quartet of a classic Thelonious Monk tune.
Especially since its versions by the Miles Davis quintets, this song is often thought of as a ballad, but that was not the way it was initially conceived, and you'll hear that this version isn't at all a ballad, but a fiercely driven bop tune.
The first exposition of the melody has nice arrangements between trumpet and saxophone, marked with the quarter-notes riff that started the tune. Bridgewater's chorus goes on with the bebop style, while Harper's own chorus has more free jazz influences. Workman's chorus is stunningly beautiful, with an alternance of abstract passages and reminiscences of the melody. After that, Roach takes his own chorus, in a quite abrupt way, and concludes his dense playing with the classic rhythmic riff that indicates the other musicians to retake the melody.
68. Mr Papa Jo
Same concert as yesterday, but a solo piece on the hi-hat. I had already indicated in several occasions how Roach used the hi-hat — this two parts cymbal which is activated on the foot — as an autonomous instrument, and not only a time keeper that would sound on beats 2 and 4, and that's it.
The only concert of him I attended was around 1994, and as he used to do for all of his concerts, he concluded it with a hi-hat solo. That means he took his hi-hat and his chair, put them on the front stage, and started playing.
This tune is a homage to “Papa” Jo Jones, the drummer of Count Basie's big band who would start developing the hi-hat as an instrument whose timbre would not be confined to a kind of mute cymbal, expanding at the same time its rhythmic range.
69. Inception
An album in duet with South-African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim with a beautiful title, Streams of consciousness. The compositions are attributed to both Ibrahim and Roach. I have no information about how this recording was done, it hears as being improvised on the spot. However, one can recognize patters which are typical from the composition of both musicians. The challenge was to make them fit together.
The tracks of the album are quite long, with the extension of this short piece which starts with a solo by Roach. When the drummer starts playing a systematic groove, the piano enters and adds syncopated chords which slowly turn into a calypso song.
70. Sunday afternoon
Well, it's already Sunday night here in Europe, but it's still time to listen to that composition of Max Roach that was recorded in Paris, June 1978. Contrary to the version proposed in It's Time, a few years before, with musicians and choir, this one is extremely sober. We just have a bass/drums duet. Calvin Hill starts playing the melody on the bass, Roach accompanies him on brushes, and Hill goes on with an improvisation on bass; both trade four, until Hill plays the melody and concludes. Sometimes jazz music projects forward, but this time we are offered a beautifully held back version.
71. Birth
Yet another duet, in a duet album with Anthony Braxton.
The tune starts with a completely open improvisation by the two musicians, no tempo nor melody seems ascribed. After some time, Roach launches a dense and fast groove and Braxton follows him. Hearing that, I remain puzzled because it is not obvious which musician is guiding the other one, it is as if the two were playing independently, but if you pay attention, you see that they interact.
The drum solo that ends the piece is stunning: there are actual melodies beneath the fast pace of drum rolls.
72. Dance Griot
Let's continue to listen to that album with Anthony Braxton ! Tonight's tune is quite different, you'll see. Roach starts by a short introduction, in which one recognizes classic “roachian” drum patterns (that ta-dada-dadum, ta-dada-dadum, ta-dada-dum…) but he does not fall into them and Braxton starts improvising in an almost bebop style, with a classic bebop drum accompaniment by Roach — a systematic swing pattern on the ride cymbal, and a syncopated counterpoint on the snare drum and the bass drum. At some point, Braxton steps back, the two play more rhythmically than melodically, and Roach ends the track by a solo part.
73. Epistrophy
This is a composition by Thelonious Monk, revisited by the percussion collective M'Boom in 1979. Quite a challenge when most of the instruments they play are anharmonic. Thanks to Joe Chambers on the vibraphone, and Fred King and Freddie Waits on marimba, we have a melody, but I would like to send a big up to the timpani guys (Warren Smith and Omar Clay) who play with the tension of the skin and produce wonderful effects (the kind of woo-woo tabla players are fond of).
Kenyatta Abdur-Rahman is on bells and Ray Mantilla on triangle.
74. U-Jaa-Ma
After their 1976 studio recording, Max Roach and Archie Shepp toured in several festivals.
Tonight's track is taken from a 1979 concert in Austria that was published under the title *The Long March*. The album contains solo pieces, either by Max Roach or by Archie Shepp, and duet pieces. “The Long March” is one of them, but it is… long, and not really easy listening. This one, “U-Jaa-Ma”, is a composition of Archie Shepp that starts with a powerful syncopated riff using only beats 4 and 1.
The word Ujamaa is Swahili for “fraternity”. According to Wikipedia, it was also the name of a socialist ideology that formed the basis of anti-colonial activist Julius Nyerere's social and economic development policies in Tanzania after it gained independence from Britain in 1961.
On the recording of a 1975 concert (in Massy, close to my living place), Shepp translates this word as “Unity”.
You'll hear what these two musical forces can build out of this political project of “unity” and “fraternity”.
75. South Africa Goddamn
From the same album as yesterday, another duet tune featuring Max Roach and Archie Shepp, bringing a definitely different atmosphere.
The tune starts with the drums only. At some point Shepp enters and brings in a melancholic melody, that sometimes turns into sad shrieks, which Roach sustains with an infectious groove that superposes a rapid flow of non-resonant sixteenth notes using rim shots, a regular hi-hat on beats 2 and 4, and (basically) quarter notes on tom-toms in descending pitches on beats 1, 2 and 3. When Shepp finishes his chorus and lets Roach plays solo, he continues playing the same groove only varying the intensity of the sound, a part I found really beautiful.
There is rage, of course, but there is hope.
76. China's Waltz
Let's listen to Max Roach quartet, still with Odean Pope on flute, Calvin Hill on bass, and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet.
Taken from the 1979 album *Pictures in a Frame*, this is a simple waltz, which the musicians play with simplicity. The melody is played by the trumpet, with a beautiful second voice on the flute, and a third one on bass.
77. Ode From Black Picture Show
It's a solo piece, by Max Roach only.
A piece he composed and sings and plays at the piano.
The lyrics are taken from an anonymous nursery rhyme, “There was a man of double deed”, which seems to be simultaneously well known and mysterious — nothing makes sense, except for our final death…
Roach turns it into a torchy lament.
78. The Martyr, Pt 1.
This is a very long track, more than 30 minutes, composed by Max Roach, recorded in quartet in 1977.
Reggie Workman at the bass starts with a great riff and Billy Harper (tenor sax) and Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet) share the joy of improvising on this melody, while Roach pushes the band with a forceful energy.
After 8 minutes, the mood changes for a bass chorus that lasts 7 minutes, with rare interventions by the trumpet. The drum chorus that follows a second exposition of the theme is full of energy, yet melodic. As often with this quartet, the sax chorus escapes (so it seems, at least) the melody which it recalls occasionally. A new drum chorus in a different style, using drum rolls to provide long sounds, and toms to infer melodies. The rhythmic structure of the theme can be felt all along, and it's as if Roach is never bored, nor tired of playing this incredible melody. A last bar, a rim shot, and the musicians give a final version of the theme.
79. Six Bits Blues
The same album as yesterday, The Loadstar, features this beautiful, heart-rending, slow blues, also composed by Roach, which is so slow that the triplet decomposition of the beat gives a 3/4 feel. As for yesterday, the musicians take the opportunity of playing the tune live to expand it to a long 20 minute piece, so I felt more natural, and maybe more indulging to you, to suggest the 1981 version, in Chattahoochee Red, which lasts only 4 minutes. (Of course, that means you'll be deprived of a beautiful bass chorus.)
80. The Dream / It's Time
The album Chattahoochee Red contains pieces of all kinds, and the one that opens the volume is a drum improvisation by Max Roach on top or Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 speech at the Lincoln memorial, “I Have A Dream”.
After the final “Free At Last”, the quartet goes on with Max Roach's composition “It's Time”.
Is there anything more to say?
81. Symbols
A free improvisation duet with Connie Crothers, on piano, recorded in NYC, 1982.
Born in 1941, Connie Crothers was an American pianist, a student of Lennie Tristano. She recorded a twentieth of albums in the years 1980 up to her death in 2016.
Of course, since this is free improvisation, there's no apparent melody, no systematic groove. Despite Roach's constant engagement in avant-garde music, it seems he didn't involve in that musical form except for that recording. I find interesting that he doesn't impose his traditional licks, but simply tries to cooperate with Crothers. Discovering that album as I prepare this post, I'll definitely spend some time listening to her music.
82. Ruby My Dear
A Thelonious Monk ballad, here played by Max Roach Quartet, from the 1983 *In the light* album.
Anyway, it is essentially Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet) that we hear, with a light drumming on brushes and, especially when the chorus starts, a bass line by Calvin Hill, and to conclude, a second line on saxophone by Odean Pope.
That's a very humble and melancholic version. Ruby was Monk's first love.
83. Straight No Chaser
From the same album as yesterday, let's listen to a second composition by Thelonious Monk, that time, a fast be bop.
The exposition of the theme is played in relatively classic way, but the choruses definitely take their inspiration elsewhere, already on trumpet and even more on saxophone. Still, Max Roach's chorus is rigorously built on the structure of the melody, a 12 bar blues, the changes of the melody and its rhythmic patterns.
84. Perdido
A *Live in Berlin* album by the same quartet, recorded in 1984. The song is a bop classic, a composition of Juan Tizol, the famous trombone player in Duke Ellington's band, and also a composer of great songs, of that one, as well as of Caravan.
Nevertheless, the style in which the musicians explore the song is definitely different from the early be bop era. While bass (Tyrone Brown) and drums (Max Roach) provide a consistent and regular groove, trumpet (Cecil Bridgewater) and saxophone (Odean Pope — but the cover says Odeon…) propose kind of a deconstructed version of the classic theme. The second lines are not just here as an ornament, but more as if there were two voices, sometimes in par, sometimes dissonant.
The bass solo is excellent, and when it's time for a drum solo, it is amazing how Roach uses silence to create expectation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNEeBZ8B4x4 (edit: wrong YT link)
85. Mr Seven
One more piece by M'Boom, from their third album *Collage*.
It is called Mr Seven because it is based on an infectious 7/8 groove—the composer is Warren Smith.
Max Roach plays vibraphone, Kenyatte Abdur-Rahman is on bass drum and xylophone,
Eddie Allen on bell tree, cabasa, cymbal, Eli Fountain on bells, drum and snare, Ray Mantilla on bells, Joe Chambers on marimba, Fred King on timpani, Roy Brooks on tom tom, Freddie Waits and Warren Smith play “various percussion”!
Will you dance?
86. Survivors
Recorded in 1984, this surprising album “with string quartet” — Christopher Finckel on cello, Louise Schulman on viola, Guillermo Figueroa and Donald Bauch on violin — is a kind of duet for the string quartet seems to sing with one voice, the other being Max Roach's drums. (The other tracks from that album are solo pieces.)
87. Sis
In 1984, Max Roach recorded two albums with a string quartet, a double quartet this time: his own jazz quartet (Cecil Bridgewater, trumpet; Odean Pope, tenor saxophone; Tyrone Brown, electric bass), and the Uptown String Quartet consisting of Cecelia Hobbs and John McLaughlin Williams, violin; Maxine Roach (his daughter !), viola; Eileen Folsson, cello.
It seems to me that the writing is more elaborate, that he uses the string quartet in a more structured way that allows the voices of the four strings to develop independently.
In any case, this melody, Sis, a composition of Odean Pope, is a beautiful one.
88. Bird says
From the same double quartet album as yesterday, this is a composition by the trumpet player Cecil Bridgewater that pays homage to the music of Charlie Parker — Bird. In the string arrangement, you can recognize a number of compositions of Parker. (I'm impressed by the vigor of the bass player who plays these quarter notes at high speed — 240bpm — for more than 10 minutes…) After the sax chorus, the string quartet is offered arrangements of Parker songs, and then follows the finale — a drum/percussion chorus — where, once again, the melodic drumming of Max Roach allows to recognize some pieces of Parker.
89. Ghost Dance
This track is taken from a two part recording. The first one is a 50 minute suite with the New Orchestra of Boston,
and the second one is a shorter song with The So What Brass Quintet — Marshall Sealy on french horn,
Steve Turre on trombone, Cecil Bridgewater and Frank Gordon on trumpet, and Robert Stewart on tuba.
The absence of harmonic instruments — no piano, no bass — makes that theme a rhythmic feast.
90. Salt Peanuts
The last recordings of Max Roach contain two remarkable duet concerts, and tonight's track is taken from one with Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet. It is incredible how both musicians take this classic song as a joyful playground.
From the recording date, 23 March 1989, and the place it was recorded at — Maison de la culture de Saint Denis — I suppose that this concert was part of the Banlieues bleues program that, each spring, proposes concerts of that quality all over the Seine-Saint-Denis. (Neuf-Trois, as people say colloquially.)
(YouTube only proposes the full concert; the link starts at the right time.)
91. Salt Peanuts
Max Roach had already recorded that tune, more than 35 years before, in the memorable 1953 concert at the Toronto Massey Hall. Charlie Parker was on saxophone, Charles Mingus on bass, Bud Powell on piano.
Enjoy these salt peanuts!
92. Flirtations
The other great concert I was alluding to a few days ago happened in 1995 on the occasion of Mal Waldron's 70th birthday.
The concert starts with this free improvisation between the two masters.
93. Mistral Breeze
“Music is like breathing to me. It's life.” Mal Waldron
94. Soul Eyes
Same concert, a ballad composed by the pianist Mal Waldron to the intention of John Coltrane who recorded it in March 1957. In this version, Mal Waldron starts alone, and Max Roach joins him on brushes to end on sticks at the end of the tune. Mal Waldron has written lyrics, which Jeanne Lee rendered magnificently.
A soul, I'm told
Can be both hot and cold
So how is one to know
Which way to go?
95. Monk's Dream
This is such a great concert.
On a classic theme by Thelonious Monk, these two musicians just play. And laugh!
96. Statements
This is probably the last recording by Max Roach, a 2002 duet album with trumpet player Clark Terry.
It seems like these two musicians have blues flowing in their veins.
(Only that track is available on YT, alas…)
97. (Untitled performance)
“New drum music is made in the culture? Of course, Max Roach is here.”
In 1983, Max Roach met hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy at The kitchen.
From be bop to hip hop, Max Roach was there to create groove.
98. Fallen Feathers
I wanted to find a copy a of a tune, “Fallen Petals”, that Max Roach recorded in 1999 with his “Beijing Trio”. Since that album does not seem to be available anywhere, let's go back to 1955 and listen to these Fallen Feathers, composed and arranged by Quincy Jones for the Cannonball Adderley octet.
A gorgeous while simple arrangement of a beautiful ballad.
99. Joy Spring
A wonderful Clifford Brown composition from the 1954 album led by him and Max Roach.
Each of the choruses is a marvel of musicality.
100. For Big Sid
This thread started hundred days ago with a drum solo, and it ends with a drum solo, from the same recording *Drums Unlimited*. The first one was in 3/4, that one will be in 4/4, a homage from one great drummer to another great predecessor, Sid Catlett, which Roach claimed (in a 1958 Downbeat interview) was his main source of inspiration.
Max Roach builds up an actual melody (Is there a word such as rythmolody?), from repeated motives and variations, arranged differently (such as these two 8th notes that end on the 4th beat, listen how they appear all over the theme, either on the snare or on cymbals). It's a drum tune that one can sing !
⏚ Antoine Chambert-Loir
Franpi Barriaux
Spaceways