August 19, 2007
Max Roach
This week we had to say goodbye to another legendary musician. Max Roach passed away at age 83.
He performed in bands led by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and collaborated with many more.
Roach has been one of the most innovative musicians around, always changing his style — one of the things I really liked about him. He was not interested in revisiting covered ground, instead preferring to challenge his artistic abilities.
He was also among the most politically active jazz musicians. For instance, he refused to play in front of a segregated audience. This resulted in him being blacklisted by the American Recording Association for some time during the 1960s.
Among musicians who identified with black consciousness, Roach was most frequently involved in direct action. Together with Charles Mingus — with whom he had set up the short-lived Debut label in 1952 — he organised the Newport Rebels concert, featuring musicians allegedly ignored by the main Newport festival. Roach even interrupted a Miles Davis Carnegie Hall charity performance because he disapproved of the beneficiary. The Village Vanguard club’s owner once pleaded with him to just play music and stop lecturing the audience.
Ronald Atkins, The Guardian
Godspeed, Max — may your legacy engage people for many years to come.