Pfunksfoolosophy

You may have noticed that I haven’t written in a couple of days. Well, it’s because I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about someone I’ve admired for the better part of my life.

Max Roach was arguably the greatest drummer in jazz. Plain and simple. He was self taught, he was magical, he was brilliant and he was the MAN on those skins. As a kid, bebop just spoke to me the way no other music could. I loved Mingus, Parker, and being a horn player myself, Dizzy…that freewheeling style seemed without structure, but it had a brilliant elegance, a cohesiveness that made my heart soar.

Max Roach was that cool jazz guy, ya know? He was always entertaining. He was always innovative and he was always learning. How many musicians can say that? True artists don’t rest on their laurels…or their backsides…True artists test the boundaries and create new ones.
I’m going to miss that guy… a lot. We don’t have many of the old guard left. Even if you don’t love jazz as much as I do, even if you’ve never thought once about bebop, take a listen to Max. You’ll see where a great many drummers get their style.

Although there are really no comparisons…listen to Keith Moon play on Live at Leeds. Then listen to Max Roach on ‘We Insist! Freedom Now Suite’…

If you are a lover of jazz, remember that brilliance the next time you get your tickets to the Newport Jazz festival or go to the Vanguard. There will never be another Max Roach.

Max was an activist as well as a musician and I admired him enormously; I miss him already.