Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter

Nick Catalano's biography of Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter is the only one we have for the legendary jazz trumpeter. Unfortunately, it is not a great one. The first half of the book is a "straight" biography focusing on Brown's family background in Delaware, the tightly-knit world of segregated black Wilmington, and his early musical influences. Then, for the remainder of his short life, the rest of the biography becomes a list of recording dates and performances, replete with the author's preferences and commentary. The first half is quite interesting and contextualizes the background of Brown in Wilmington's black east side. The second half is mainly useful for commentary on Brown's discography and data gleamed from friends and family of Brown to fill in some of the gaps between recording sessions or performance dates across the Northeast and Midwest.

The main utility of the text, however, is some of the details if provides on the career of the relatively straight-laced Brown, particularly the illustrious Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. Catalano adequately covers the influence of Fats Navarro, Brown's distinct technique, and the state of bop in the northeast, particularly Philadelphia's importance as a major city near enough to New York with supportive audiences for innovative jazz musicians. The significance of California in the emergence of the quintet of Brown and Roach was also news to me, again suggesting the importance of the West Coast jazz scene in pushing the music in new directions. Indeed, Eric Dolphy's friend, Harold Land, was key for the sound for the quintet, which then headed to the East Coast to great acclaim. 

However, the hectic touring schedule and limitation of jazz to small clubs in the 1950s clearly emerges as a factor in the political economy of the music. Threatened by the rise of R&B and rock, limited to smaller venues and, as musicians often seen as lesser than their classical counterparts, jazz musicians were "Jim Crowed" in the club scene. This is relevant to Brown since constant touring for small combos required zigzagging across the Northeast and Midwest, increasing the chances for a car accident that eventually ended his life. Thus, in spite of all the critical praise for Brown as a unique force in jazz, he too could not escape the confines imposed on jazz artists.

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A jazz-waltz kind of week...

Stompin' At The Savoy

I was listening to live recordings of Benny Goodman's group from 1938 and came across their take on "Stompin' at the Savoy." Goodman is great, but Max Roach's lyrical drum solo on the 1954 recording with Clifford Brown is unforgettable. Roach is undeniably one of my favorite jazz percussionists, and moments like this illustrate how bop and post-bop freed the drummer from the restraints they had to deal with during the swing phase of the 1930s and early 1940s. Roach's lyrical side as a soloist is a treat on Saxophone Colossus and Monk's Brilliant Corners, too. Perhaps Roach's M'Boom phase is next on my list for jazz to devour. More drummers could use Roach's sense of melodicism.

Celia

Tonight has been a Bud Powell kind of evening, and "Celia" remains my favorite of his compositions. If memory serves me right, it is named for his daughter, and it is undoubtedly of those sentimental numbers of his where he proves the piano can accomplish everything Bird did on saxophone. Moreover, Bud's moaning along with his tunes is always a special delight, just like Keith Jarrett would later do, not to mention Max Roach's understated swing. 

Jazz for Malcolm X

Haven't heard this one in a while. "Mr. X" is Max Roach's tribute to Malcom, recorded in 1956. Already in the mid to late 1950s, one could see a shift in Max Roach's political orientation and views on the Civil Rights Movement, which included his admiration of Malcolm X and some forms of black nationalism.

Abbey Lincoln's That's Him!

Abbey Lincoln’s 1957 That’s Him! is a wonderful delight. Opening with the slow, “Strong Man,” where Lincoln sings about her love for a large, dark, muscled, and shining man who folds around her. “Hair crisped tight and curly and cropped kinda close” indicates beyond a doubt, that Lincoln is singing in honour of the black male physiognomy, which, in 1958, was quite unheard of for lyrical material. In addition, her light-hearted tone and with the fun, black conscious lyrics from Oscar Brown, is enhanced by some soloing spaces for Kenny Dorham and Sonny Rollins, the latter going first through melodious runs. “Picture a lover like this” is Lincoln’s obvious, and rather direct, appreciation of black love. Thus, even before her closer relationship and marriage with Max Roach (who drums on this album), Lincoln was already engaged in her own pro-black sentiment and art, as well as choosing material that she would want, not predominantly white standards or apolitical work. “Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe” is another love song for a man, but with perfect piano comping while she lithely exudes notes through the mountainous curve of the song’s melody. “When he kisses me it’s Christmas everywhere” also indicates her willingness not to shy from sensuality, especially when her voice rises and falls. The question of a reciprocated love is still unknown, alas, but perhaps the potential unrequited love only improves the song until Rollins blows away another pretty solo. Then Lincoln’s soaring, unique voice also rises, becoming louder while maintaining the melismas necessary  to keep things from becoming boring. As one would expect from a jazz vocalist who can actually sing and emote, the listener is overcome with desire for Lincoln’s Joe to return her love.

She even pays tribute to Billie Holiday, singing “My Man” and “Don’t Explain.” The former is similar to some of Holiday’s 1950s recordings, with a very bare arrangement, centred on piano and voice. It’s a song full of despair, distress, and, clearly, self-inflicted domestic abuse to a certain degree since Lincoln, like Holiday, sings, “What’s the difference if I say I’ll go away when I know I’ll be back on my knees someday.” The band does a great job, however, providing the necessary atmosphere for the heart-breaking piece. Somehow, “Tender As a Rose,” a standard on a woman’s beauty, is just Lincoln’s vocals, and it evades the realm of boredom! Lincoln, always experimental and a risk-taker , does quite well without the band, showing that her voice stands alone. Next, “That’s Him!,” the title track, is another torch ballad love song, but one in which Lincoln defiantly proclaims who the man she loves is, instead of allowing herself to be claimed or described as an object of desire in some other songs. “Wonderful world, wonderful youth, that’s him, that’s him” and the stunning band accompaniment, such as Dorham’s muted trumpet, keeps things interesting, too. Lincoln, near the song’s end, injects some blues phrasing, too, showing individuality and her own personality in her interpretation of standard material. For “I Must Have That Man,” another standard well-sung by Holiday, begins with just percussion in response to Lincoln’s vocals. Another song obviously about love for a man, has Roach swinging joyously and the rest of the band joins it, adding some bop to the standard fare while Lincoln’s vocal phrasing, almost conversational, keeps up until Dorham’s solo. Then, after the instrumental break, Lincoln sings while the horns and piano provide back-up, sounding exquisitely jazzy with a big sound, reminding me of some of the songs from Dinah Jams. Despite Lincoln’s desire for a man who may reject her, the song gives the impression that she will be fine, however, if she does not have him, perhaps reflecting her boredom with so many of the misogynistic torch songs and ballads female jazz singers have been forced into recording, though the alternate take, in my opinion, is more soulfully bluesy with band accompaniment after the instrumental. Regardless, Lincoln makes it quite clear at the end she will have that man, and not be helpless and wait for male authority.

“Porgy,” standard material from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, is another ballad, which excels. With well-written lyrics from Gershwin, the song is delightful to hear. The instrumental improvisation from Dorham’s trumpet is ‘cute’ as well, though Lincoln’s vocal remains the highlight by far. “He’s got a good kind of love for me, changing my style and way of living, glad I stopped taking and starting giving, I got a man, I got Porgy now.” The alternate take surprisingly seems to feature even more melisma and fervour. The penultimate track, “When a Woman Loves a Man,” is a standard with sexist lyrics about how a woman in love wants to live her life for her man while men do not practice love that way. Nevertheless, things turn out to be a little bluesy with the band accompaniment, especially Sonny Rollins playing behind her and the pianist. “She’ll just string along all through sick and thin ‘til his ship comes in” continues the theme of the selfless, woman in love, who will be the first to praise him when he’s going strong, the last one to blame him when everything’s wrong, it’s such a one-sided game they play, but women are funny that way.” It’s hard to believe Lincoln ever believing this drivel, but she sings it in a seemingly sarcastic way with the moving band, showing off her blues shout at the song’s end. But all good things must come to an end, and “Don’t Explain,” by Billie Holiday, a song for a lover cheating on her, continues the theme of the selfless, tragic lover abused and scorned by men. Dorham and the bassist perform exceedingly well, here, particularly the former’s smooth solo. The walking bassline, soft swing, and Dorham’s mournful trumpet create an atmosphere of hushed talk, silent rage, and torn love. Thus, though not quite reaching the heights of Abbey Is Blue, this album is a powerful reminder of Lincoln’s already unique voice and style.

Abbey Lincoln's Abbey Is Blue

A fascinating vocal jazz album, Lincoln and the band play sparse, reserved music with some Afrocentric and political themes and content, especially “Afro Blue,” wherein Lincoln sings about an African prince and is nearly as good as any instrumental recording from Coltrane or Santamaria. Though lacking strong, obvious Afro-Cuban rhythms because the drummer plays so silently, Lincoln’s lyrics are beautiful, “shades of delight, cocoa hue, rich as the night, Afro Blue.” The song asserts pride and sensuality, a defense of blackness as beautiful, which, for 1959, was quite rare in popular culture. Her horrifying, solitary voice on “Lonely House” is quite soothing and depressing, but sheer delight in her range. “Funny, with so many neighbors, how lonely it can be!” Clearly, there is some political meaning to the lyric here beyond the universal feelings of loneliness anyone feels, perhaps a reflection on the loneliness of urban living, too, but also African-American ‘loneliness’ in the US under Jim Crow segregation from alienation from mainstream America? The lyrics were written by Langston Hughes, so I shall leave the interpretation up to you. Some songs use elements of the blues, such as “Let Up,” a stirring number with, again, muted accompaniment and excellent saxophone back up. “Sure enough fed up” of course entails not only anger in personal relationships, or life, but, naturally, the political climate at the time. Though nothing is as “out there” or avant-garde as her screaming on Max Roach’s We Insist!—Fredom Now but this is definitely unique when compared to most vocal jazz of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her rendition of songs like “Thursday’s Child” are quite emotive, deep, and, at times, sounds something like Billie Holiday on more mysterious, sinister-toned songs like “No More,” itself a rather unusual jazz ballad with an ominous tone. Likewise, Lincoln, who, alas, passed away in recent years while never relenting on her dedication to the civil rights movement and black power, channels Holiday. The relaxed feel of the band and their rather muted performance enhances the solitude and loneliness of the piece, accentuating Lincoln’s strong voice, vocal range, and, at times, haunting beauty. My favorite song, “Brother, Where Are You,” a composition of Oscar Brown, who wrote lyrics for Max Roach, begins on a dark note with spiritual, pleading vocals from Lincoln, searching for her brother. “Brother, where are you, they said you came this way. The simple piano accompaniment is played beautifully and is reminiscent of church hymns, something I am sure was intended by Lincoln. This “brother” seems to be despised, nobody wanting to answer his call or help, perhaps a reference to the African-American civil rights movement, lost in 1959. The flautist ends it perfectly, too.

“Laugh, Clown, Laugh” is a cute, light-hearted track where Lincoln’s vocals evoke laughter. “You’re supposed to brighten up the place, and laugh clown, laugh, clown” suggests an attempt to raise and lighten spirits after the sorrowful “Brother, Where Are You.” We even hear some swing, a walking bassline, and more uplifting horns. “Don’t let your heart grow too mellow, just be a real punginello fellow,” as well as other lyrics, are fun puns and suggest that perhaps the listener is the clown, or, to read this as a ‘political’ subtext, perhaps satirically referring to the expectation that black musicians and entertainers play the “coon” and foolishly perpetuate negative stereotypes and caricatures for white audiences, especially as she says, “go on creating those false impressions, never let your looks be too revealing.” Similarly, Charles Mingus’s “The Clown,” incorporating poetry, has also been read by some as an allusion to race strife and identity in 1950s America. Subsequently, “Come Sunday,” Ellington’s tribute to God, includes lyrics by Lincoln that are unquestionably, like the gospel and spirituals that sustained resistance, a tribute to the moral justification and campaigns for equality across the US. Her vocal style, perfect with balladry and, as mentioned previously, emoting, calling for God’s assistance. “And love will bloom at springtime, birds will sing” implies a hopeful optimism. “Come Sunday, oh, come Sunday…”

“Softly As in a Morning Sunrise” begins with just light swing and Lincoln’s solitary voice, “for the passions that thrill love and lift you high to heaven, are the passions that kill love and let you fall to Hell.” As a warning song, a premonition, it conveys the danger of love that can come and go quickly, which, as for previous songs, could easily be interpreted politically for Blacks to not take the recent progress as a given and realize things could worsen despite their ‘love’ and non-violent protests. The bassist perfectly accompanies her, and the instrumental sections also echo her theme of danger in optimism, danger in love. She improvises herself with the melody and lyrics of the song at its conclusion, showing her range and dexterity again. As for “Lost in Stars,” a more conventional jazz ballad and a standard, sounds majestic with Lincoln’s soaring, booming, and well-paced voice. “Well the lord God hunted, through the wild night air, for the little lost star on the wind…” sounds heavenly while the light accompaniment from the band allows one to focus entirely on Lincoln’s voice as an instrument. “Well, I’ve been walking, through the night and day, and then my eyes grow weary and my head turns gray, and sometimes I think, maybe God’s gone away, forgetting his promise, and words he’d say, and we’re lost out here in stars…blowing through the night, and we’re lost out here in the stars.” Again, this is another song with a potentially dark, ominous relationship to African Americans, who, like Lincoln in this song, are lost in the stars, waiting for a God who has forsaken or forgotten her. Lincoln concludes the album with “Long As You’re Living,” a swinging number where she has this sing-talk quality to her lyric, for a strange-sounding composition. “They say the truth will make you free, and that’s the way you want to be, Brother, this is your life.” Lincoln’s song, slightly ‘avant-garde’ perhaps by vocal jazz standards, makes the song a warning for self-improvement and to live every minute, an inspirational song urging people to exert agency and take their lives in their own hands. Of course, the rather quirky chorus and horn arrangement and the political climate in 1959 make this an obvious reference to the Black Freedom Struggle. Note the use of the term “brother,” for instance, another marker of African American vernacular English widely used by Lincoln. Thus, her entire album, marking the beginning of a career away from simple acting roles and jazz-pop, Lincoln makes subtle and not-so-subtle references to the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement and an uncertain political climate. Even better for us, the listeners, her vocal style, range, arrangements, and lyrics are brilliantly conceived and delivered, making for a vocal jazz album with infinite repeatable listens and, for those in the mood for late night ‘blues,’ an excellent way to conclude the night.

Max Roach's Speak, Brother, Speak!

From 1962, Max Roach delivers another Black Power-oriented, civil rights album. Like the We Insist!—Freedom Now album, he also experiments with new trends in jazz represented by atonality in some free jazz. Moreover, the album’s title encapsulates the Black vernacular English, and the title track is a funky blues, another reference to African-American culture and identity while reminiscent of his earlier “Driva Man”. The band, consisting of Clifford Jordan, Mal Waldron, Eddie Khan, and Roach himself, features compositions by the band and Roach as well as two very long pieces from a live show. Because of his strong black nationalist sentiment, Roach was, for a time, ostracized from mainstream press and control of jazz, meaning he would not record in a studio again for a while. Regardless, the band get down on the extended, 25 minute long “Speak, Brother, Speak.” Unfortunately, the album lacks the powerful vocals of Abbey Lincoln, Roach’s soon-to-be wife, but the solos keep it interesting for the most part. Roach would go on to record other black nationalist albums, too, such as Lift Every Voice and Sing, the African-American national anthem, Deeds, Not Words, recorded before Speak, Brother, Speak, and Percussion Bitter Sweet. Alas, some of the solos on the title track get tiring after a while, particularly Khan on bass, though it does seem to be perfect musical accompaniment to a rally in Harlem at a rally or perhaps elsewhere, allowing each musician to offer their statement regarding the path for freedom to take.  Roach’s drum solo, fortunately, is very melodic and suggests the bluesy melody of the theme while taking the song into purely percussion. “A Variation” is where things get more interesting, while retaining the propulsive swing of Roach. Waldron’s piano solo exudes the blues. His playing for some reason reminds me of the pianist on Mingus’s “Haitian Fight Song,” Wade Legge, or, on some of Horace Silver’s work. Regardless of stylistic similarities, Waldron’s solo is soulful, fun, and avoids tediousness for the most part. Overall, a good album, and nice example of Roach's live work from the early 1960s that veers between hard bop and the new thing in jazz.

Anti-Apartheid Songs

Gil Scott-Heron's Johannesburg is a funky track about apartheid South Africa. As always, Scott-Heron's conscious, politically-charged material is enjoyable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDkQY6cOH0s

Max Roach's Tears for Johannesburg refers to the Sharpeville Massacre where anti-apatheid protesters were shot and killed. At least 69 were murdered and the recent massacre of striking mine workers at Marikana echoed the Sharpeville Massacre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNWYmgdO5Q

Max Roach's Man from South Africa is a jazz piece composed in honor for anti-apartheid South Africans. Roach, a committed black nationalist, was also dedicated to African liberation and the American Civil Rights Movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3aALURKt1U

Ibrahim Abdullah's Mannenberg refers to District 6 of Cape Town, which was forcibly evacuated during apartheid. Apparently the melody came from some old marabi song, which can be heard here. Read about it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJw6weFdJOw

Ndodemnyama (Miriam Makeba) is a song composed by a South African who was executed during apartheid while singing his anti-apartheid anthem. The song is a warning to Verwoerd, the architect of South Africa's apartheid policy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYwgmOxhUvk

Khawuleza (Miriam Makeba) is a beautiful song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwi_MdAdyHc

Bob Marley's War makes references to apartheid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL9DXaXufh8

A Tribe Called Quest's Steve Biko (Stir It Up) is not really about Steve Biko or apartheid, but does mention him in the title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZItLBiHG9gc

Peter Gabriel's Biko is actually about Steve Biko, the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement during anti-apartheid days. A stirring tribute from Peter Gabriel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ncVyxQRw70

The list of anti-apartheid songs is obviously quite extensive. A future post will give additional songs.

St. Thomas and Summertime: Converging Caribbean Influences In Rollins and Mingus

Charles Mingus recorded a funky, Latin-esque version of "Summertime" by Gershwin with Dannie Richmond and Hampton Hawes on piano. Check it out here. In it, Dannie Richmond plays a breathtaking Afro-Caribbean drum solo quite melodic. It seems likely that Richmond (and Mingus) were listening to Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus which was released in 1956, a year before Mingus's Trio album with Hampton Hawes and Dannie Richmond came out. Listen to Max Roach's solo on "St. Thomas" here and see what I am talking about. "St. Thomas" is based on a calypso tune called "Fire Down There," and I have written a previous blog post about the song that can be found here. Hilariously, Louis Farrakhan recorded a version of "Fire Down There" during his calypso singer days, but I have not be able to locate that on youtube to share...Anywho, if you listen closely, you can tell that Dannie Richmond was listening to Roach as well as Afro-Caribbean percussion. The drums are tuned in such a way and played in a polyrhythmic style that suggests the drummer is playing with the melody and engaging in dialogue with himself. In addition to Richmond's drumming on "Summertime," Mingus takes the listener down a "Latin path" with his ostinato playing. Like "St. Thomas," the song also switches between standard African-American jazz swing, and the Afro-Caribbean rhythms, particularly during Hampton Hawes's piano solo.

Sonny Rollins and Max Roach. The latter played on Saxophone Colossus.

In addition to influences from "St. Thomas" and Caribbean calypso, I argue Mingus was also listening to "Night in Tunisia" and Latin jazz more broadly. Listen to Mingus, Bud Powell, Gillespie, Parker, and Roach play "Night in Tunisia" here for an example of Mingus playing in the Latin jazz vein. The stylistic variation and back-and-forth between the straight swing and Cuban rhythms lacks the seamlessness of later forms of Latin jazz, which can also been seen in "Summertime." Nevertheless, it is clear that Mingus was taking influences from "Tunisia" and "St. Thomas" in his own rendition because of the obvious debt Richmond owes to Roach's solo on the latter song but also the fusion of Latin themes and rhythms (as well as the Latin ostinato from Mingus) that Gillespie helped popularize with songs like "Night in Tunisia."

The Best of Max Roach: Favorite Songs and Solos

I've been listening to a lot of Max Roach lately. His material as a leader and sideman all illustrate his importance in jazz drumming. Furthermore, Roach was featured on a lot of famous albums, including Brilliant Corners, Birth of the Cool, Saxophone Colossus, Freedom Suite, Money Jungle, and numerous recordings with Charlie Parker, Dinah Washington, Charles Mingus, etc. Like early bebop drummer Kenny Clarke, Roach modernized drumming by shifting the emphasis to the cymbals instead of the bass drum. By playing the beat-by-beat pulse of standard 4/4 time on the "ride" cymbal instead of on the thudding bass drum, Roach and Clarke developed a flexible, flowing rhythmic pattern that allowed soloists to play freely. The new approach also left space for the drummer to insert dramatic accents on the snare drum, "crash" cymbal and other components of the drum set.  He also studied under the famous Haitian percussionist Ti Roro, a master of ritual Vodoun drumming. This brought in African and Afro-Caribbean rhythms into Roach's music, which is obvious on seminal records such as Bud Powell's Un Poco Loco, from the Amazing Bud Powell Vol. 1. Roach also matched his rhythmic approach with the tune's melody so his solos were quite melodic.
Since I've already written a post about his famous We Insist! Freedom Now album from 1960, which focused on African American history, the Civil Rights, and racial injustice in South Africa and abroad, I shall endeavor to highlight favorites from his early recordings, the Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet hard-bop of the 1950s and a few 1960s LPs.

One of my favorite songs of all time, and the only instance of bebop pianist Bud Powell composing a Latin piece, Un Poco Loco, the song with the link below, features Roach's amazing drums. Playing the Western drum set and a cowbell simultaneously, Roach evokes Haitian or Afro-Cuban sacred and polyrhythmic drumming. Some argue that this song was part of a progressive change in Afro-Americans toward an international black consciousness that united blacks throughout the diaspora. Obviously such a thing existed since colonial days but in the 20th century things were accelerated by Marcus Garvey, transnational music, and immigration. Regardless, Max and Bud's solos are stimulating and even danceable. By the way, if you listen closely, you can hear crazy Bud humming the melody...

Another gem is St. Thomas, Sonny Rollins tribute to his mother's Caribbean homeland. While Sonny improvises the beautiful Caribbean melody, Roach's cute (or should I say 'tough') polyrhythmic beat makes you want to get out of your seat and dance. This is another favorite song of mine that I could listen to endlessly. Roach's melodic approach to drum solos surfaces here too, where he almost sounds like he's playing steel drums (not really but just work with me). Then he moves to the cymbals and incorporates all of the drum set and blows your mind away.

A Little Max (Parfait), a cute ('tough') Roach piece for Duke Ellington's Money Jungle is another favorite of mine. Unlike most of Duke's music, this is a trio group, consisting of Charles Mingus on bass, Max Roach on drums, and Duke Ellington on piano. Since they're bridging swing, bop, and avant garde movements, a lot of Duke's piano style is suffused with the blues. The blues is what all jazz musicians shared so it makes sense that Duke's style would be mostly piano blues. As for this song, it's a Latin piece with several opportunities for Roach to present his skills. Unfortunately, the song is less than three minutes long, but hearing Roach play along with Duke's short piano runs makes this a five-star song for me.

The real highlight of Money Jungle is Fleurette Africaine, an avant garde piece. Mingus plays a haunting floating bassline while Duke plays the melody and improvises. Whenever I hear this I think of a flower bed deep in the heart of the jungle, where few humans have ever ventured. Honestly I don't think one can even hear Roach's drumming unless you listen very closely. Here his playing adds texture to the song, like free jazz drummers who main purpose is not to maintain a swinging beat.

As for his years as co-leader of the Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet, there are so many favorites of mine. Featuring trumpet legend Clifford Brown, Harold Land (later replaced by Sonny Rollins), Richie Powell on piano (younger brother of Bud, also passed away with Clifford Brown in a car accident in 1956) and bassist George Morrow, the quintet pioneered the style of hard-bop, which is essentially bebop with bluesier improvisations and themes and more influences from contemporary R&B. Because I'm feeling lazy, I will just post several links to my favorite songs and drum solos of the Brown-Roach Quintet. Enjoy!

Stompin' at the Savoy, a beautiful swing song referring to legendary Harlem jazz club, The Savoy, is too cute (tough). Roach's solo is short and sweet and to the point. He maintains the swing at a relaxed tempo that is danceable.

Take the A Train, written by Billy Strayhorn for Ellington, is another jazz standard. Imitating train sounds in the beginning sounds kind of corny, but this is still a great rendition. Take the A train to get to Harlem!

Cherokee, featuring one of the most famous trumpet solos of all time by Clifford Brown, is another swingin' gem. Roach plays the drums like a Native American in the beginning and goes crazy in his solo.

Jacqui is just another great song, with a cool solo from Roach

George's Dilemma has a quasi-Middle-Eastern melody and Roach playing a Latin-inspired beat.

Sandu is just another great blues with Roach's fabulous solo

Delilah is just a personal fav

Gertrude's Bounce is also a favorite and a lot of fun

Jordu is another good song with Roach playing a solo at a more relaxed tempo that quite melodic and incorporates the entire drum set

Flossie Lou is another jam of mine with a beautiful piano intro and blowing from Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins.

Roach's African beat  on Dinah Washington's recording of I've Got You Under My Skin is amazing. Creative genius...

Joy Spring is another example of Roach's solo ability.

Daahoud is another great piece.  Great and simple drum solo from Roach

Here are a random assortment of good examples of Roach's drumming
Salt Peanuts with Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Charlie Mingus, and Bud Powell, live at Massey Hall. Interesting solo from Roach at lightning speed

Wee, also from Jazz at Massey Hall with the same lineup. Caribbean-sounding melody with lots of swing. Roach's solo is similar to the one on Salt Peanuts

 Moritat (Mack the Knife) with Sonny Rollins

 Blue 7 with Sonny Rollins, from same album as St. Thomas and Moritat. Good bluesy fun

Brilliant Corners, Thelonious Monk

Bemsha Swing, another Caribbean-influenced tune referring to Barbados. Roach plays drums and tympani

 Tears for Johannesburg, a favorite of mine. Features collective improvisation, Julian Priester's trombone, and conga accompaniment for Roach's drums

 Garvey's Ghost, fascinating tribute to Marcus Garvey. Abbey Lincoln's wordless vocals, cowbell and congas, Roach on drums, Booker Little on trumpet, Eric Dolphy on alto sax. Haunting sounds

 Other favorites of mine that I couldn't find on youtube are Man From South Africa, Tender Warrior, Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-lues-Are, If I Love Again, and Drum Conversation. Roach has so many great songs, as a composer, sideman, or leader.

The Wonderful World of Music

Jazz drummer and black nationalist Max Roach's civil rights/protest jazz album, We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite, may be my current favorite jazz album. Featuring Roach's future wife Abbey Lincoln as vocalist, Sun Ra's Arkestra member Julian Priester on trombone, Coleman Hawkins on tenor for the first track and other jazz greats, the album effectively combines traditional and progressive trends in jazz music in 1960. The previous year, Ornette Coleman's revolutionary The Shape of Jazz to Come introduced free jazz and the beginning of the atonal avant-garde period in jazz. 
While initiating the "new thing" in jazz, Coleman's music remained suffused with the blues. Similarly, Max Roach's album (the music composed by Roach himself on melodica) retains strong blues influences, especially on the first track, "Driva Man", a song about slave drivers. The song begins with blues-inflected vocals by Abbey Lincoln who accompanies herself on the tambourine and awesome tenor sax playing from Coleman Hawkins, who represented the swing tradition in jazz history. 
The next track, Freedom Day, progresses in African-American history to the Emancipation Proclamation and Reconstruction. Entitled "Freedom Day," Lincoln's vocals are featured along with an interesting horn arrangement. The music itself does not move me nearly as much as Lincoln's voice. Like bebop, this song features very fast horn playing and improvisation at a fast tempo. Though an important period in African-American history, this song does not move me nearly as much as Driva' Man. 
"Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace," an extended piece featuring only Max Roach on drums and Abbey Lincoln is interesting for embracing aspects of free jazz and wordless vocals. It starts like a spiritual, with Lincoln wordlessly singing the melody, then switches to screaming. Apparently Roach convinced Lincoln to start screaming at this point to represent the pain and suffering of African-descended people in the United States. Roach really shows off his drumming abilities as someone capable of adding "texture" to the extended piece.
The next piece, "All Africa" takes us to Africa and connects the anti-colonial struggles there with the Civil Rights Movement. It begins with Lincoln singing the names of African ethnic groups or "tribes" while accompanied by the Yoruba drummer Babatunde Olatunji. Olatunji sings a Yoruba prayer simultaneously and then the song shifts into an African drum circle with Roach, Olatunji, and additional percussionists. This part of the song symbolizes the connections between African American and African music and the persistence of African rhythms in African-influenced music. 
The final piece, "Tears for Johannesburg," is a memorial to the victims of the Sharpeville Massacres in apartheid South Africa. Blacks protesting against the apartheid state's laws were killed by the government in 1960. Directly linking the Civil Rights Movement with apartheid in South Africa led to the album being banned in South Africa.
The piece is also interesting for the use of congas and a simple vamp which is improvised over by the musicians. Julian Priester's trombone also brings to mind the music of Sun Ra, which in his early years, featured a lot of exotica/world/Latin/African-inspired influences. Lincoln's wordless singing introduces the melody of the piece which is only heard later and there are moments of collective improvisation near the end. This song is undoubtedly my favorite of the album and really demonstrates the global-consciousness present in Black America. Since the 19th century African-Americans have demonstrated this racial consciousness that transcended national borders but it was only in the 20th century with Marcus Garvey and the black nationalist movements of the Civil Rights era when black Americans broadened their struggle to that of colonized Africa. In addition, Roach was a firm believer in Malcolm X's views rather than Martin Luther King, though he performed this album live for the NAACP and other integrationist groups. 
Thus, this album has strong political and social messages that celebrate African-American history while criticizing imperialism and racism. In my humble opinion, this album is one of the most celebrated jazz albums because of its blend of social consciousness and the fusion of old and new musical traditions, such as blues, spirituals, free jazz, and hard bop. Roach's gifts as a composer are also highlighted for the first time. Anyone interested in the music of this legendary drummer who played for so many other jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Bud Powell, and Duke Ellington must hear this LP. It truly is off the hook!