Double Bass R.I.P. Max Roach

[TroyK]

The only album i've got feuturing Max prominately is Money Jungle (probably on loads of the songs on various collections i've got). Really gonna have to check out some other stuff. Recomendations? Cheers.

All the Clifford Brown EmArcy records. Wonderful, wonderful music.

 

[TroyK]

Something occurred to me while reading this thread... ...Look at how this thread has made us all want to dig out some Max recordings!

Well said, Marcus. Especially with us participating in threads (guilty) where we are gossiping about and throwing darts at living, accomplished musicians, we should remember these people and how much what they produced meant to us.

I have a list, not infinately long of people who I feel connected with even though, I'm not. But I'll stick to Max in his thread.

I went out shopping for a record today that I just realized exisited today, but didnt' find it. Might make that a weekend project.

 

[milomo]

Something occurred to me while reading this thread... a few of our favorite musical icons have passed on in the last few days, and of course we pay our respects to these great figures, and usually we move on. And then, every now and then, there's someone on the level of Max Roach. The guy had so much power while he was physically with us, it's almost as if he never left. Maybe it's because he never stopped creating, every day of his life, until the vehicle his soul lived inside just didn't allow him to do it anymore. The recent talk here about Sam Rivers has gotten me thinking more about real heroes like these.

I didn't want to get all hippie-dippy BS about it... but look at how we talk about Mingus as if he's still walking around on Earth... Max is in that same boat. Look at how this thread has made us all want to dig out some Max recordings!

IMHO.

Amen brother.

 

[Mark Perry]

There's a Max record from 1981 on Columbia called "Chatahoochee Red", that has my favorite Max moment of all time. The first tune on the record is called "The Dream/It's Time". "It's Time" is one of Max's tunes from the '60's, and it's played well enough by the full band (Odean Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Calvin Hill on bass, and Max). But "The Dream", that's something completely different. It starts with Max playing by himself, working on a triplet-y motive. Then from out of nowhere Martin Luther King starts speaking, a taped excerpt from the "I Have A Dream" speech, with Max still playing behind him. Martin speaks for about 30 seconds, then Max comes back to the forefront, this time going into tempo, sounding so strong and powerful. Then Martin comes back, then Max takes over again, back and forth, every time ratcheting up the intensity. Then finally, Martin gets to the end of the speech, "free at last, free at last, thank god almighty we're free at last", and Max climaxes right with him, playing in perfect cadence with those last words. As soon as Martin is done, Max start with the rthymic pattern of "It's Time", and from there he and the band are gone. The duet lasts all of 3 minutes, but it's one of the most incredible things i've ever heard, and even though i've had the record 26 years, every time I listen to it it still gives me goosebumps. The record is long out of print, but if you can find it, GET IT, just for those 3 minutes, you will not regret it!

Just found a short youtube video of him playing a drum solo over MLK's speech: http://youtube.com/watch?v=mBRbrKSHWAo

 

[bribass]

Somehow I feel especially sad for this loss to the world. Maybe because I knew Max a little, but really it's because I realize what a genius, gentleman, innovative vituoso, and absolute giant of a person that the world has lost.

THANK YOU MAX!


Brian Glassman

 

[Damon Rondeau]

Something occurred to me while reading this thread... a few of our favorite musical icons have passed on in the last few days, and of course we pay our respects to these great figures, and usually we move on. And then, every now and then, there's someone on the level of Max Roach. The guy had so much power while he was physically with us, it's almost as if he never left. Maybe it's because he never stopped creating, every day of his life, until the vehicle his soul lived inside just didn't allow him to do it anymore. The recent talk here about Sam Rivers has gotten me thinking more about real heroes like these.

I didn't want to get all hippie-dippy BS about it... but look at how we talk about Mingus as if he's still walking around on Earth... Max is in that same boat. Look at how this thread has made us all want to dig out some Max recordings!

IMHO.

...and if I'm not mistaken, Max was the last to leave of the giants who made Be-Bop. I'm sure there are all kinds of "unsung cats", but of the ones from that time who were sung, are there any left who made as momentous a contribution as Max? He was a real witness, a giant man from a giant time.

 

[oliebrice]

...and if I'm not mistaken, Max was the last to leave of the giants who made Be-Bop. I'm sure there are all kinds of "unsung cats", but of the ones from that time who were sung, are there any left who made as momentous a contribution as Max? He was a real witness, a giant man from a giant time.

Hank Jones and Roy Haynes are still with us.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

Yeah, I was thinking of them when I wrote that, but were either of them on the stand at Minton's with Bird & Monk & Dizzy when it was all happening? (Roy, I know, played with Bird, but that was a bit later, wasn't it? Into the 50's?) That's sorta what I meant... I thought of Sonny Rollins, too, but he's a little younger and a little later.

I would never doubt the venerability (or existence!) of Hank Jones and Roy Haynes.

 

[oliebrice]

Yeah, I was thinking of them when I wrote that, but were either of them on the stand at Minton's with Bird & Monk & Dizzy when it was all happening? (Roy, I know, played with Bird, but that was a bit later, wasn't it? Into the 50's?) That's sorta what I meant... I thought of Sonny Rollins, too, but he's a little younger and a little later.
I would never doubt the venerability (or existence!) of Hank Jones and Roy Haynes.

fair enough, I think its fair to say bebop was already happening by the time Hank Jones and Roy Haynes played with Bird. I wonder how many musicians are still alive who did? Bill Crow and Peter Ind are two bassist who did and are still around, although again they played with him later in his career.

 

[damonsmith]

...and if I'm not mistaken, Max was the last to leave of the giants who made Be-Bop. I'm sure there are all kinds of "unsung cats", but of the ones from that time who were sung, are there any left who made as momentous a contribution as Max? He was a real witness, a giant man from a giant time.

I heard from a good source that Ken Burns offered Max $500 to be in his Columbia records comercial otherwise known as the "Jazz" series travesty. Of course Max turned it down.
He could have JUST had Max speak and the whole thing would have been more accuarate!

 

[Jeff Bonny]

I heard from a good source that Ken Burns offered Max $500 to be in his Columbia records comercial otherwise known as the "Jazz" series travesty. Of course Max turned it down.
He could have JUST had Max speak and the whole thing would have been more accuarate!

In the 1970/71 interview he gave for Art Taylor's book Notes and Tones Art asks, "Have you ever played music you didn't like to get money?" Roach replies, "Not that I can recall. I've always been involved with people I respected and enjoyed."