Without a drummer, there is no band. As much as other musicians love to decry this truth, they know it to be fact. That is not just a subjective statement from this drummer and critic. It is musical fact. Without drummers to keep the beat, other musicians would not know the proper way to compose their music. They also add the right flares and musical seasoning to compositions across the musical universe. Heck going back as far as the Civil War, drummers essentially told soldiers commands through different rhythmic patterns they played. They are the backbone of so much, not just music. Staying in the realm of music for the moment, there have been any number of greats who have proven the importance of drums. Buddy Rich, for one. Art Blakey and Gene Krupa are also on that list, as is another great (from North Carolina no less), Max Roach. The late great drummer was celebrated earlier this year by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis as a celebration of the centennial of Roach’s birthday. Now this weekend, that performance will be released to the masses in the form of the new recording, The Music of Max Roach. Spanning nearly an hour, the concert’s 8-song set list is a wonderful tribute to Roach and his legacy, not just as a drummer but a social activist, too. This will be addressed shortly. The performances thereof are of their own importance and will also be discussed herein. The live recording’s production rounds out its most important elements and is also deserving of its own attention. Each item noted here plays its own key part to the whole of The Music of Max Roach. All things considered they make The Music of Max Roach one more of this year’s top new live CDs.
The Music of Max Roach, the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s latest live recording, is an impressive new offering from the famed musical collective. Its appeal comes in large part through its featured set list. According to information provided about the recording, the set list focuses on a very specific portion of Roach’s career – 1957-1966. It was during this period that Roach crafted some of his most important records, beginning with Jazz in ¾Time (1957). It was on that record that he really started going beyond the standard 4/4 time signatures of jazz and changing things for the genre creatively, as a result. His landmark social commentary record, We Insist! (1962) is also represented here with two tracks, ‘Lonesome Lover’ and ‘Freedom Day.’ Deeds, Not Words (1958) is also here. That record was widely acclaimed for its clear boundary breaking arrangements that continued to take Roach and company past the standard hard bop and 4/4/ time signatures of jazz. Simply put, the period of Roach’s career represented here saw the release of some key albums, so having those albums touched on here is really a tribute to Roach, his fans, and his legacy. That alone is sure to appeal to many audiences.
The set list featured in this performance is just part of what makes the recording worth hearing. The group’s performance thereof adds to the appeal in is own way. The cacophony of ‘Freedom Day,’ which seems to span three separate movements over its nearly nine-minute run time, captures so well, the emotions that ran so high during the civil rights era. At the same time, the vocal performance presented here, the power in the statement about slaves finally becoming free makes for so much depth. The joy is so present even in its subtlety.
On another note, ‘The Drum Also Waltzes’ does its own share to show how much Max Roach changed the face of drumming during his life, what with its polyrhythmic patterns. The various patterns even amid the stable time keeping and the dynamic control fully show how Roach created an identity all its own for the drums.
The soul in ‘Driva Man,’ that bluesy approach, the melancholic feel of the song, pairs with the song’s lyrical presentation to create so much emotional depth here, too. This arrangement is a true example of the notes not being played being just as important as those that are if not more so. Audiences will not be able to but listen to the entire performance. When it and the other performances examined here are considered alongside the rest of the concert’s performances, the whole strengthens the foundation formed by the songs themselves.
Putting the final touch to the presentation is the production that went into the concert. As with every recording from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the production is second to none. Every musician’s performance cuts through clearly. Yet the airy-ness of the venue is just as evident. Everything is expertly balanced once again, thus fully immersing listeners into the concert, leaving them to feel that they are right there. The positive aesthetic effect this has ensures just as much, audiences’ remained engagement and entertainment. When the positive impact of this recording’s production is paired with the show’s set list and the performance thereof, the whole makes The Music of Max Roach a fitting tribute to a legend of the jazz community.
The Music of Max Roach, the latest live recording from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wyton Marsalis, is a concert performance that every jazz fan will appreciate. That is due in large part to its clearly focused set list. The set list seems focused on a key part of Max Roach’s career when he really started to create some of his most important music. The performances thereof add to the appeal because of the expert level musicianship the all involved. The production that the recording, ensuring a positive aesthetic impact. Each item examined here is key in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered they make The Music of Max Roach a thoroughly enjoyable tribute to the legacy of a legendary member of the jazz community.
The Music of Max Roach is scheduled for release Friday through Blue Engine Records. More information on the recording is available at:
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