The drummer helped pioneer bebop in the 1940s and delivered a message of resistance and liberation from the 1960s on. Listen to 13 selections from musicians, writers and critics. (Read whole article at nytimes.com)
By Marcus J. Moore
Sept. 6, 2023
Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer, virtuoso percussionist and bandleader Max Roach.
Roach’s far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. His political consciousness, expressed in his groundbreaking Freedom Suite and other works, made him a fierce advocate for change at a time when the nation was steeped in racism.
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes premieres Friday, October 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App.
Read more, here.
The latest and most exciting project is the documentary, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes. Directed and Produced by Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro.
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes is the story of a musician whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. His stunningly diverse seven-decade career marked him as one of the great musical artists of the 20th century and a pioneering cultural activist at times when the nation was steeped in racism. The film follows Roach across a rich and complicated life, years of now-legendary achievement, deep personal struggle, and the price he paid for his outspoken views. His was an epic musical journey -- from the revolutionary Jazz of the 1940s to the Civil Rights years, through experiments in hip hop, multi-media works, and beyond.
https://www.maxroachfilm.com/