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WE INSIST! Freedom Now Suite One of my former employees purchased this out-of-print historic recording and sent it to me as a gift today...
...WE INSIST! Max Roach's FREEDOM NOW SUITE Max Roach - drums Abbey Lincoln - vocal Booker Little - trumpet Julian Preister - trombone Walter Benton - tenor sax Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax James Schenck - bass Michael Olatunji - percussion =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= American jazz drummer and composer, one of the most influential and widely recorded modern percussionists. Roach was associated with Charlie Parker at Minton's Playhouse during the development of bebop in the mid-1940s, moving the fixed pulse in jazz from the bass drum to the ride cymbal and creating a polyrhythmic, percussive texture by exploiting the flexibility of the trap-drum set. By carefully developing thematic ideas on his drums, Roach elevated the percussionist to the equal of melodic improvisers. Roach participated in recordings by Parker's quintet in 1947–48 and in the Miles Davis series “Birth of The Cool”; co-led an early 1950s quintet with trumpeter Clifford Brown; and in the 1960s composed, with lyricist Oscar Brown, Jr., the “Freedom Now Suite” for his then wife, vocalist Abbey Lincoln, a chorus, instrumental soloists, and ensemble. Encyclopædia Britannica Article - http://www.britannica.com...le-9063835 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This is a classic. At a time when the civil rights movement was starting to heat up, drummer Max Roach performed and recorded a seven-part suite dealing with black history (particularly slavery) and racism. "Driva' Man" has a powerful statement by veteran tenor Coleman Hawkins and there is valuable solo space elsewhere for trumpeter Booker Little and trombonist Julian Priester, but it is the overall performance of Abbey Lincoln that is most notable. Formerly a nightclub singer, Lincoln really came into her own under Roach's tutelage and she is a strong force throughout this intense set. On "Tryptich: Prayer/Protest/Peace," Lincoln is heard in duets with the drummer and her wrenching screams of rage are quite memorable. This timeless protest record is a gem. www.allmusic.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= In the late 1950s Max’s musical outlook expanded with the recordings Max Roach Plus 4 at Newport, and Deeds Not Words. The latter record displayed Roach’s biting political commentary, which came into sharper focus with We Insist! Freedom Now in 1960, on which he collaborated with singer-lyricist Oscar Brown, Jr. He had clearly begun to depart from the more traditional head-solos-head structure of most jazz tunes. From then on he has been an eloquent spokesman in the area of racial and political justice. He married another of his collaborators, singer-actress Abbey Lincoln in 1962 until their 1970 breakup. Max also eschewed use of the piano or other chording instruments in his bands from the late 60s... NEA Jazz Masters - http://www.iaje.org/bio.asp?ArtistID=55 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Neither of these reissues offers insight into two crucial dimensions of Roach's talent: his composing skills and, in particular, his craft in creating original protest music. You won't find evidence of these skills on his Mercury sessions, when hard bop was the order of the day. But listen to We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (Candid) and Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse!), both from the early '60s. These are landmark releases, and surely the most furious anti-racism recordings in jazz history. Both are "concept" albums, epic stories tracing the revolt against racism in Africa, the Caribbean, and the US. Central to both is the interplay between Roach and his wife at the time, vocalist Abbey Lincoln, whose screams of anguish at injustice are unforgettable. Boston Phoenix Review - http://www.bostonphoenix....roach.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "I always resented the role of a drummer as nothing more than a subservient figure." ~Max Roach tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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Yeah, Please hook me up with this one! I gotta hear that!
.. " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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oh man,i gotta check this out | |
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The more I listen to this the better it gets. 
Abbey Lincoln's performance is wicked... 
...She's like the physical model for the neo-soul females of today. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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That's a nice line up! So i'm assuming you have this on vinyl or did you get your hands on an out of print disc?
i have to investigate that Candid lable futher, Mingus made one of my favorite albums on that label. 
Stormy Monday is a must hear for any Eric Dolphy fan! Sorry, i didn't mean to jack your thread.  | |
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sinisterpentatonic said: That's a nice line up! So i'm assuming you have this on vinyl or did you get your hands on an out of print disc?
i have to investigate that Candid lable futher, Mingus made one of my favorite albums on that label.
Stormy Monday is a must hear for any Eric Dolphy fan! Sorry, i didn't mean to jack your thread. Jack away with the good stuff. I have it on CD. My friend ordered it from England. Candid (www.candidrecords.com) has releases on a nice roster of artists... Kenny Barron Gary Bartz Luis Bonilla Jaki Byard Paquito D'Rivera Eric Dolphy Don Ellis Lightning Hopkins Abbey Lincoln David "Fathead" Newman Shirley Scott Otis Span Cecil Taylor Clark Terry ...among others. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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