MAX ROACH

from 'Max Roach Solos'

In listening to this album, one almost forgets he is hearing just

drum set, so varied and well-paced is the program, so complete-

ly musical the selections. That Max is a musician who happens

to play drums rather than the other way around, is constantly

evident.

In studying the works of Max Roach, one should pay particu-

lar attention to two important Roach compositional devices: 1)

The manipulation of what might be called activity rhythms or

the balance set up between the expenditure of greater or lesser

amounts of energy over longer or shorter periods of time. 2) The

use of brief melodic and/or rhythmic fragments to create a feel-

ing of unity within an improvised solo. The recurring motif idea

appears in "Big Sid," the melodic figure being a percussive re-

alization of Sidney Catlett's "Mop-Mop." This is Big Sid as

remembered by Max, and the strong bass drum is very much in

keeping with this thought.

Max Roach Solos is a recording that must be heard, studied

and digested by anyone who considers himself in any way con-

cerned with percussion. Max has brought to full fruition an idea

of jazz drumming that has been developing in his work for some

twenty-five years; that of the truly classical percussionist. Clas-

sical in the true aesthetic sense; that is embodying elegance,

simplicity, economy of means and purity of style. It's all here,

in this one magnificent recording.

by Rupert

Kettle

BIG SID