The first time I heard Max Roach, I didn't know who he was. I was 15 yrs. old and I went with my stepfather to pick up my mother at a union meeting at the Embassy Auditorium in downtown L.A. We were wandering through the upstairs part and looking for the room that held the meeting. John, my stepfather, opened a door and we were standing at the top of the balcony where a concert was in progress. I was stunned by the music and the drummer in particular. Later I found out that the singer was Dinah Washington and Max Roach was the drummer. The first LP that I bought, when I was 16, was Charlie Parker's Now's The Time and I listened to Max every day after school.
I was a student at UMASS when Max was Artist in Resident back in the early 80's. So saw Max perform lecture, tell stories etc... Max wasn't as hands on with the students as some of the other Artists in residence I've studied with. Like Ron Carter, taught us improvisation and harmony in a required class, directed small ensemble, and taught private lessons as well as giving concerts. But Max did pull together great performances. I think my favorite Max concert was when he got Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Griffin, Chico Freeman, Walter Bishop Jr and Ray Brown together for a concert. That was well worth the price of admission. Often times the artist in residence position was more of a way to support a music department, give it street cred and attract students. Basically, marketing.
The first time I heard Max Roach, I didn't know who he was. I was 15 yrs. old and I went with my stepfather to pick up my mother at a union meeting at the Embassy Auditorium in downtown L.A. We were wandering through the upstairs part and looking for the room that held the meeting. John, my stepfather, opened a door and we were standing at the top of the balcony where a concert was in progress. I was stunned by the music and the drummer in particular. Later I found out that the singer was Dinah Washington and Max Roach was the drummer. The first LP that I bought, when I was 16, was Charlie Parker's Now's The Time and I listened to Max every day after school.
Bret, did Brownie and Bird ever play together?
I was a student at UMASS when Max was Artist in Resident back in the early 80's. So saw Max perform lecture, tell stories etc... Max wasn't as hands on with the students as some of the other Artists in residence I've studied with. Like Ron Carter, taught us improvisation and harmony in a required class, directed small ensemble, and taught private lessons as well as giving concerts. But Max did pull together great performances. I think my favorite Max concert was when he got Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Griffin, Chico Freeman, Walter Bishop Jr and Ray Brown together for a concert. That was well worth the price of admission. Often times the artist in residence position was more of a way to support a music department, give it street cred and attract students. Basically, marketing.