One of the greatest jazz drummers ever, a pioneer and founder of modern jazz, Max Roach, passed away today at age 83. Roach was a master percussionist whose rhythmic innovations and improvisations provided the “dislocated beats” that helped to define the bebop and cool jazz movements.
A self-taught musical prodigy, Roach played with nearly everyone who is anyone: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Eric Dolphy, Stanely Turrentine, Cecil Taylor, Charles Mingus and Bud Powell. Though less known than Bird or Diz, Roach was just as influential and integral to the creation of bebop with his polyrhythmic deconstruction of the beat.
Much in the same way future saxophonists owed a debt to the harmonic changes Parker made to jazz, the same can be said about the legacy Roach inspired in later drummers from Art Blakey and Elvin Jones to Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette. As a longtime player and student of jazz, I cannot begin to comprehend the legacy Roach left on the music.
It is indeed a sad day for jazz, but ultimately amazing that he outlived almost all of his peers from the era.
As always, NY Times has a great bio on the jazz legend here and here.
Also listen to the great obit from NPR.Drummerworld presents a tribute.
Slate dubs Roach best jazz drummer ever.