Max Roach opinions

[dave9199]

So I have Freedom Now & Percussion Bitter Sweet and I've listened to clips of songs on Amazon. Actually some I haven't heard, but they sounded interesting just from their discriptions. Let me know what cha think.

1. Max Roach Trio featuring The Legendary Hasaan

2. Drums Unlimited

3. Speak Brother Speak

4. Scott Free

5. Streams Of Consciousness

6. Birth & Rebirth

7. Live At Vielharmonie Munich

8. 1 In 2, 2 In 1

9. Long March

10. Parisian Sketches

[brownie]

Suggest you get the Clifford Brown 'The Complete EmArcy' 10CD box that has Max Roach all over the place. Or almost. The box has all the material from the Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet EmArcy. You have not heard Max Roach if you have not listened to those. And you get Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Dinah Washington along.

[JSngry]

1. Max Roach Trio featuring The Legendary Hasaan - essential

2. Drums Unlimited - near essential

3. Speak Brother Speak -essential

4. Scott Free - save it for later

5. Streams Of Consciousness - don't know it, curious about it myself

6. Birth & Rebirth - essential

7. Live At Vielharmonie Munich - don't know it

8. 1 In 2, 2 In 1 - near essential

9. Long March - good, better get it while it's in print

10. Parisian Sketches - part of the Mosaic, which you'll want to get eventually

I see you don't have MEMBERS DON'T GET WEARY & HISTORIC CONCERT on your list. They should be. Essential.

Also essential, but so far available only on old vinyl: THE LOADSTAR, LIVE IN TOKYO, & FORCE.

Keep in mind this is all just my opinion.

[dave9199]

If I remember the Historic Concert was with Cecil Taylor? I can't get into him which is why it's not on the list. Members Don't Get Weary I'll have to go back & listen to the Amazon clips again, but it didn't grab me. I should've mentioned I'm looking post Clifford Brown.

[Christiern]

Max lives down the street from me--I saw him last week, walking with a walker cane, and not looking too healthy. I hope it's only a temporary condition, but he is nearly 80, and that's a reality I find difficult to accept.

[dave9199]

Do you ever talk with him?

[Christiern]

Do you ever talk with him?

It's been several years since I did--we nod to each other, but I'm not sure if he remembers me. When he and Abbey were together, she and I frequently talked--albeit usually briefly--at the supermarket. BTW, (and apropos drummers in the hood) Sonny Greer used to live across the street from that supermarket, and we had known each other for years.

Quite a number of jazz artists live in my neighborhood.

[BFrank]

"Members, Don't Git Weary" IS essential. With a lineup of Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, Jymie Merritt and Stanley Cowell, you can't miss. Then there's the must-have tunes of "Effi", "Equipoise" and "Absolutions" (which is a highlight of the Lee Morgan "Lighthouse" set, BTW) and that seals the deal.

B)

[BruceH]

What brownie said!

[BruceH]

BTW, (and apropos drummers in the hood) Sonny Greer used to live across the street from that supermarket, and we had known each other for years.

Quite a number of jazz artists live in my neighborhood.

Nice neighborhood Chris!

[jacman]

2 albums that i've always been fond of are, 4+1 and Jazz in 3/4 Time. i know 4+1 is out on CD, not sure about the other.

[paul secor]

I can recommend Streams of Consciousness. I've had the LP for a number of years, and listened to it recently.

Of the others you listed, I have and like The Legendary Hasaan, Birth and Rebirth, and 1 In 2, 2 In 1.

I also have The Long March, but it's been some time since I've listened to it. I did recently listen to Force, his other duet with Archie Shepp, and enjoyed that. As Jim Sangrey suggested, you might want to grab The Long March before it goes out of print again.

I would suggest that you might pick up one of Max Roach's M'BOOM recordings.

If you don't have Max's recordings with Bird - Essential.

Ditto Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Collossus, Plays for Bird, Work Time, Plus Four, and Tour de Force.

If you go for everyone's recs, you'll probably be broke for a while, but you'll have a very good Max Roach collection and a lot of great listening.

Edited October 19, 2003 by paul secor

[king ubu]

Another for the Brownie box!

I'm with Jim as far as the first three on your list are concerned. Do not have any of the others except for the HatArts with Shepp. I think they already are OOP, maybe relatively easy to find, though. They're good, too.

Enja had a nice 2CD set out featuring Roach in various settings (quintet, m'boom, with voices, solo), which is a very nice portrait of the man and his abilities (I recently got mine from Amazon Germany), called "To The Max".

ubu

[JSngry]

If I remember the Historic Concert was with Cecil Taylor?

Fair enough, but if you think you might have even the slightest appreciation for Taylor's "piano as 88 tuned drums" (more w/the Bosendorfer) concept in the right setting, this is it. Max and Cecil duet with complete understanding of each other and on fully equal terms. You might think that Cecil's legendary indefatigable energy might wear Max down eventually, but if amything, the opposite happens (although it's not a matter of "wearing down" as much as it is shifting gears)

I know several people who have no real use for Cecil Taylor who really dig this album. I think it's because of the percussive element. Cecil can be intimidating for some people when they try to listen to him in traditional "song" terms, but in this context, there's no such expectation by either listener or players. It's just pure percussion, pure drumming, only one drummer's drums are fully pitched. Also, you KNOW that Max is going to swing, maybe not in treaditional "ching-chinga-ching" style, but with a groove you can't miss nevertheless. Cecil's groove is totally locked into Max's and I think that's another reason why some folks dig this one who ordinarily run screaming from the room if anybody even THINKS about Cecil Taylor.

Not trying to change your mind necessarily, Just letting you know what it's like and what some (and I stress, SOME) other like-minded folks' reaction to this album has been so you can be more fully informed as you decide for yourself .

[king ubu]

Cecil's groove is totally locked into Max's and I think that's another reason why some folks dig this one who ordinarily run screaming from the room if anybody even THINKS about Cecil Taylor.

[catesta]