Max Roach (1924-2007) was born in North Carolina and raised in New York City. A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in jazz history. He worked with many famous jazz musicians, including Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins and Clifford Brown.
Max Roach - Episode 1
Roach's most significant innovations came in the 1940s, when he and jazz drummer Kenny Clarke devised a new concept of musical time by playing the pulse of time on the ride cymbal instead of on the bass drum. The new approach left space for the drummer to insert dramatic accents on the snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals. By matching his rhythms with a tune's melody he created a new way to accompany soloists in the angular and highly rhythmic bebop style. Roach did this with great subtlety and often shifted the dynamic emphasis from one part of his drum kit to another within a single phrase, creating a sense of tonal color and rhythmic surprise. Roach played on many of Parker's most important records, including the November 1945 Savoy session (Ko-Ko) which was a turning point in modern jazz.
| Composition | Artist | Year |
| Disorder at the Border | Max Roach/Coleman Hawkins | 1944 |
| Woody'n You | Max Roach/Coleman Hawkins | 1944 |
| Buh Dee Daht | Max Roach/Coleman Hawkins | 1944 |
| Ko-Ko | Max Roach/Charlie Parker | 1945 |
| Crazeology | Max Roach/Charlie Parker | 1947 |
| Bird Gets the Worm | Max Roach/Charlie Parker | 1947 |
Max Roach - Episode 2
The large number of important and grounding breaking recordings that Roach played on is a testament to his ability as a drummer. He was one of the most sought after musician in jazz for over 4 decades. In 1952, Roach co-founded Debut Records with bassist Charles Mingus. This label released a record of a May 15, 1953 concert which came to be known as Jazz at Massey Hall, featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Mingus and Roach. Also released on this label was the groundbreaking bass-and-drum free improvisation, “Percussion Discussion.”
| Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
| Move | Max Roach/Fats Navarro | | 1948 |
| Move | Maz Roach/Miles Davis Nonet | Birth of the Cool | 1949 |
| Tempus Fugit | Max Roach/Bud Powell Trio | | 1949 |
| Salt Peanuts | Max Roach/Quintet of the Year | Jazz at Massey Hall | 1953 |
| Mildama | Max Roach/Clifford Brown | Brown & Roach Incorporated | 1954 |
Max Roach - Episode 3
As the bop era progressed into the late '50s, Roach was known for "hard bop" and experimentation on albums such as Max Roach Plus Four (1956), Deeds Not Words (1958) and Max (1958). He also continued his collaborations with Sonny Rollins. In June 1956 he played on Sonny Rollins' groundbreaking solo album, Saxophone Colossus. A brilliant showcase of material, Roach's performance on the album Blue 7 "shows," as Gunther Sculler commented in Jazz Panorama, "that exciting drum solos need not be just an un-thinking burst of energy - they can be interesting and meaningful compositions.” In February of 1958, Roach and Oscar Pettiford formed a trio with Rollins for the saxophonist's celebrated Riverside album, Freedom Suite.
| Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
| Parisian Thoroughfare | Max Roach/Clifford Brown | Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet | 1954 |
| Delilah | Max Roach/Clifford Brown | Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet | 1954 |
| Blue Seven | Max Roach/Sonny Rollins | Saxophone Colossus | 1956 |
| The Freedom Suite | Max Roach/Sonny Rollins | Freedom Suite | 1958 |
| A Little Max | Max Roach/Duke Ellington/Mingus | Money Jungle | 1962 |
Max Roach - Episode 4
This podcast will feature some of Max Roach’s most important solo work. Max was a pioneer soloist, playing melodies on entire the drum set. We start with his 1953 Jazz at Massey Hall solo and move through Drums Unlimited featuring his most important solo piece, “For Big Sid” dedicated to legendary drummer Big Sid Catlett.
| Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
| Drum Conversation | Bud Powell | Jazz at Massey Hall V.2 | 1953 |
| Drums Unlimited | Max Roach | Drums Unlimited | 1966 |
| The Drum Also Waltzes | Max Roach | Drums Unlimited | 1966 |
| For Big Sid | Max Roach | Drums Unlimited | 1966 |
| Mop Mop | Max Roach Quartet | Max Roach Again | 1964 |