[JPL] Max Roach and unusual time signatures

[ANTNYBROWN at aol.com]

I was truly entertained by the repartee on the issue of pioneering unusual 
time singatures, although I am genuinely surprised that no one mentioned Max and 
company playing 5/4 on Love is a Many Splendor Thing on the Brown-Roach 
Quintet's Live at Basin Street (Mercury 1956). 

Max would bring his quartet regularly to San Francisco in the early 1980s, 
appearing at the Keystone Korner, Great American Music Hall, et. al. Reminiscing 
about his early days, Max would   recount how when he played the Bay Area in 
the 1950s that local bands would open for him, and he recalled one in 
particular: Dave Brubeck's.
One distinctive feature of Take Five is how Brubeck comps behind Morello's 
drum solo. It is noteworthy that Max was already soloing to accompaniment from 
his fellow rhythm section mate pianist Richie Powell (and check out Max soloing 
to walking bass on Sing, Sing, Sing [Rich Versus Roach, Mercury 1959]).

I hope to meet some of you Friday at my hero's home going. 



Anthony Brown, Ph.D.
Antnybrown at aol.com
www.anthonybrown.org
1253 Haskell Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 428-2126

GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME! THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN JAZZ DRUMMING, forthcoming 
on University of California Press.


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