Max Roach - Where to start in his catalog?
downtownrobbrown
446 Posts
I've been listening to his pandora station lately and I'm going to try to pick up with some of his albums.
What is his best 3 albums? What are the essential collaboration albums I should pick up?
Thanks.
What is his best 3 albums? What are the essential collaboration albums I should pick up?
Thanks.
Comments
"Drums unlimited" is the only one I have from him, but I like it a lot.
Download:
Password: MOODSWINGS
His later, more politically inclined stuff is also excellent, but very different.
The drummer in my old band was his drum tech for a bit, and of all the drummers I played with he was by far the best at tuning his drums - Max was very particular!
Money Jungle; Ellington, Mingus, Roach
I love all that 3/4 shizzle.
Enjoy!
effi, equipoise etc...
Herbie Nichols also recorded with Art Blakey and Danny Richmond, but Max Roach was the most able to play with the musicality that Herbie's tricky compositions required. Max had the range to be subtle at times and take charge at others.
Percussion Bitter Sweet
and you can't get much better than Study in Brown
These are great titles to check by him too.
Deeds, Not words
Jazz In 3/4 Time
It's Time
Max Roach Trio Feat. Hassan (fire!)
We Insist
Speak, Brother, Speak
MAX
Pretty much all the stuff he did with Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Etc. All solid material!
What are the key lps by this quintet? Looking at my collection, it seems I've focused on the politically inclined stuff.
They were only together for 2+ years before Clifford Brown died in a car accident (one of the truly tragic early deaths in Jazz history), and all of their recordings are prime. The first recordings have Harold Land on Tenor and then Sonny Rollins.
On vinyl there are decent Japanese pressings that can be had cheap - maybe the live date isn't the place to start, but it's great all the same.
and...
"nommo" which may be less known cause it is Japan only issue. but is a bomb.
http://www.discogs.com/Max-Roach-Quartet-Nommo/release/1919200
different and tighter version of his 2006 release...
http://www.amazon.com/Nommo/dp/B00260UMN2