Max Roach Dead at 83

[DoctorD]

RIP (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_en_mu/obit_roach;_ylt=ApqT_PsrFQ2T579XGoedGeh34T0D)

If my turntable worked I'd pull out my old Parker Savoy albums.

[Crimen y Castigo]

I was able to see Max Roach twice, years ago at Catalina's in Hollywood. Great shows, and both times he performed this "Mr. Hi Hat" routine.

Pure awesomeness.

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Rest in peace.

[Labdarugo]

There was before Max, and there's because of Max. He changed things.

Rest In Peace.

[Chicago1871]

The man supported some of the all time greats, and frankly should be considered one himself. RIP.

[riverplate]

N.Y. Times obituary:

Max Roach, Master of Modern Jazz, Dies at 83 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/arts/music/17roach.html?ref=obituaries)

Mr. Roach’s death closes a chapter in American musical history. He was the last surviving member of a small circle of adventurous musicians--among them Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and a handful of others--whose innovations brought about wholesale changes in jazz during World War II and immediately afterward.

Their music, which came to be known as bebop, had its roots in the jazz tradition, but it was different enough to scandalize many listeners and even many of their fellow musicians. Its rhythms were more jagged and unpredictable; its harmonies were more advanced, at times dissonant; its technical demands could be daunting. Despite the skepticism and hostility they initially inspired, the beboppers established the template for how jazz was played for decades to come.

[Samarkand]

I saw him about 8-10 years ago when he was clearly past his best. But then again clearly past Max Roach's best is a place to where most musicians can only aspire.