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.