DESCRIPTION:
A drum solo by Max Roach marks the perfect start to part two of this exceptional show. In fact, he goes on to gift us several other solos, all of them of a prodigious musicality, a great variety of timbres and a luminous clarity. But he is not only a great instrumentalist, an introducer of polyrhythmic drumming in jazz, he is also a leader of men who knows how to surround himself with young musicians in the making and a first-rate accompanist.

It is fascinating to see how drum and double bass accompany the soloists. In their interventions, the soloists know how to share the community spirit proposed by the leader. All the musicians are exceptional technicians, even if they never had the aura acquired by their predecessors Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins. However, we should note the fluid phrasing and melodic sense of trombonist Julian Priester and the robust improvisations of saxophonist Stanley Turrentine who, for two years with Max Roach, experienced the best artistic years of his career before transitioning to less challenging soundscapes.

This concert confirms one thing: if there is an artist who inspires respect, it is Max Roach. His natural elegance, political activism and artistic awareness are to be commended for all time.

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