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Max Roach, 1924-2007
A seminal figure in postwar jazz, drummer Max Roach fueled the transition from swing to bebop by employing multiple rhythms to push beyond the boundaries of traditional 4/4 time. Roach worked with a string of jazz greats from the outset of his career. He served as the drummer on Dizzy Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins's recording of "Woody 'n' You" (1944) and was the percussionist on Charlie Parker's landmark "Ko Ko" (1945). During the Birth of the Cool recording sessions (1949–50) he played cool bop with Miles Davis before partnering with trumpeter Clifford Brown in 1954 in the founding of free jazz. He went on to front his own bands and to experiment with multicultural fusion in collaborations with African and Asian musicians. Roach's innovations were rooted in his impeccable control, virtuoso technique, and artistry. As a fellow musician observed, "because of him, drumming no longer was just time, it was music." |