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Max Roach - Where to start in his catalog?

downtownrobbrowndowntownrobbrown 446 Posts
edited February 2011 in Strut Central
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.

  Comments

  • MoogManMoogMan Sao Paulo, Brazil 1,173 Posts
    downtownrobbrown said:
    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.

    "Drums unlimited" is the only one I have from him, but I like it a lot.




    http://newmoodswings.blogspot.com/2009/07/max-roach.html


    Download: 
    http://rapidshare.com/files/257184305/Drums_Unlimited.rar


    Password: MOODSWINGS
  • downtownrobbrowndowntownrobbrown 446 Posts
    thanks
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever.

    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!
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I really like Lift Every Voice And Sing. Not for everyone.

    Money Jungle; Ellington, Mingus, Roach
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    i don't know that this is the place to start but this album is very enjoyable:

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    funky16corners said:
    Horseleech said:
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever

    I love all that 3/4 shizzle.
  • On_the_Red_ClayOn_the_Red_Clay 1,728 Posts
    His sides w/ Clifford are epic. For his next fase i'd recommend "percussion bitter sweet" or "we insist!". My personal fave is "Members, don't get weary"

    Enjoy!
  • neil_somethingneil_something 993 Posts
    "members, don't git weary", obviously....



    effi, equipoise etc...
  • mistermayomistermayo Yonder 21 Posts
    I don't know if it's great place to start, but M'Boom is pretty damn fantastic.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Though he mostly recorded as a leader, Max was an excellent sideman as well.

    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.

  • MR_ZIMMSMR_ZIMMS 210 Posts
    Yes, Members don't git weary, indeed!
  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    Members don't get weary is my fav too
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    Members Don't Get Weary
    Percussion Bitter Sweet
    and you can't get much better than Study in Brown
  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    One of my tenants was just telling me about how Max Roach cold cocked her aunt at her parents wedding. Apparently, dude could get feisty when he had a few cocktails in him. Loved seeing him in college where he was a professor at another nearby school along with Archie Shepp.
  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    I'm happy to have seen him perform live. One of the best shows I have ever witnessed.
  • ageage 1,131 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever.


    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!
  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever.

    His later, more politically inclined stuff is also excellent, but very different.


    What are the key lps by this quintet? Looking at my collection, it seems I've focused on the politically inclined stuff.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    onetet said:
    Horseleech said:
    His classic quintet w/ Clifford Brown - one of the greatest Jazz groups ever.

    His later, more politically inclined stuff is also excellent, but very different.


    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.
  • hiptonehiptone 112 Posts
    "members, don't git weary"
    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
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