WELCOME TO FOUR ON THE FOUR: A BLOG ABOUT JAZZ DRUMMING AND ALL THINGS UNRELATED, BROUGHT TO YOU BY JON McCASLIN

Friday, January 10, 2014

Max Roach Masterclass















It's the great Max Roach's birthday today! He was born in 1924 and would have been 90 years old. Amazingly, Kenny Clarke's birthday was yesterday and I think that Jimmy Cobb and Tain also are also Capricorns...

Anyways, here's some rare footage of Max giving a masterclass:



Incidentally, I've really been digging this box set lately of Max's "Plus Four" bands from the late 50's:

























Kenny Washington strongly recommended that I check out this music to study Max's approach to comping. The absence of a piano on much of this music really opens things up and gives Max some space to work with and, in general, get more involved with his snare and bass drum while comping. Oh yeah, Booker Little and George Coleman are also killing it on this music!

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