One of Max's many great records from the late 50's, most of which tend to get overlooked in favor of his more experimental sessions. The group here includes Ray Bryant, Stanley Turrentine, Julian Priester, and Turrentine's great brother Tommy – and they're joined by Abbey Lincoln on vocals on a number of tracks. The set is mostly standards, and titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Namely You", "Speak Low", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those surprisingly nice sessions cut for the Music Minus One label! LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE key example of the magic of Clifford Brown and Max Roach on record – a brilliant studio session that really has the group "incorporating" their sound – forging a bold musical statement that would forever leave its imprint on jazz for years to come! The format here shows Brown and Roach as a key force in 50s hardbop – extending Max's bop idiom of years back, and using Clifford's more lyrical approach to solo work to expand the tone, color, and spirit of their music – linking styles and worlds wonderfully, and forging a sound that's tight, yet also beautifully spontaneous and personal. The rest of the group includes Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and titles include "Sweet Clifford", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Stompin At The Savoy", "I'll String Along With You", "Mildama", "Darn That Dream", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. 5 tracks in all, including classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Delilah", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

Not west coast, but "best coast" jazz – a prime example of the way the Clifford Brown/Max Roach team helped to cook up the intensity of the LA scene of the 50s by infusing it with a bit of New York fire! The album takes off in the extended mode of Clifford's All Stars album – and like that one, features Max Roach on drums alongside a lineup of players that includes Herb Geller and Joe Maini on alto saxes, Walter Benton on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, and Curtis Counce on bass – all jamming together in really extended, side-long tracks that have plenty of space for creative solo work and free-flowing improvisation! The format's a very unusual one for the 50s – and a great side-stream to the better-known Brown/Roach albums – with the 2 long tracks "Coronado" and "You Go To My Head". CD also features a shorter rehearsal take of "Coronado". CD

Rarely are such "meeting of the minds" sessions worth any fuss at all – but in this case, the masterful talents of the players turn what should be a snoozy "common denominator" session into a modernist classic that still crackles with excitement after all these years! The real success factor here is Ellington, who was hitting a point in his career when he was really beginning to experiment again – as you'll hear in the beautifully angular piano lines that he lays next to Mingus' bass and Roach's lively drums. The set's nearly all originals, and titles include "Money Jungle", "Le Fleurs Africaines", and "Wig Wise". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

Rarely are such "meeting of the minds" sessions worth any fuss at all – but in this case, the masterful talents of the players turn what should be a snoozy "common denominator" session into a modernist classic that still crackles with excitement after all these years! The real success factor here is Ellington, who was hitting a point in his career when he was really beginning to experiment again – as you'll hear in the beautifully angular piano lines that he lays next to Mingus' bass and Roach's lively drums. The set's nearly all originals, and titles include "Money Jungle", "Le Fleurs Africaines", and "Wig Wise". Very nice! CD features bonus tracks! CD

A mid 70s reunion of some of the key figures in the early New York bop scene – all recorded here in great fidelity, and on tracks that run a lot longer than their initial 78rpm recordings! The lineup includes Dizzy on trumpet, Sonny Stitt on tenor, John Lewis and Hank Jones on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums – making a rare 70s appearance in a straight set like this. Tracks are all bop standards, played in versions that allow for plenty of solo space – and titles include "Confirmation", "Groovin High", "Lover Man", "All The Things You Are", and "Lady Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

Max Roach's masterpiece! This album is one of his most perfectly realized visions – and it's a marvelous album that combines politics and modern jazz, yet still manages to swing! The players are some of the hippest that Roach ever worked with – and include Eric Dolphy, Booker Little, Clifford Jordan, and Julian Priester – and the album features some of the best-ever singing from Abbey Lincoln! Abbey's incredible on the track "Mendacity", an incredibly haunting Civil Rights-era number that should go right up there with "Strange Fruit", and which features wonderful alto work from Dolphy! She also sings wordlessly on the track "Garvey's Ghost" – and then sits out the rest of the set so that Max and the group can wail on the tracks "Praise For A Martyr", "Man From South Africa", and "Tender Warriors". Incredibly hip – and a perfect blend of soul, jazz, politics, and pure righteous spirit! CD

Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even more progressive work with a group like this! The players are all youthful geniuses who would go onto shape the sound of 70s jazz tremendously – working here at a point that already shows their brilliance – Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, and even Andy Bey, who sings vocals on the title track. The overall style is very similar to Bartz's early albums on Milestone, or to some of the Music Inc records on Strata East, which feature Cowell and Tolliver. It's no surprise that Cowell contributed 3 tracks to the set – "Effi", "Equipoise", and "Abstrutions" – and the group also performs a great version of Bartz's "Libra"! LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of tracks – with great players throughout! The set features three titles that have Dinah Washington singing with a hip group that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, Harold Ousley on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone, Wynton Kelly on piano, and Max Roach on drums. Two more tracks feature Terry Gibbs on vibes, Urbie Green on trombone, and Don Elliott on mellophone – again with Roach and Kelly in the rhythm section. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 27 tracks and features Kenny Dorham, Booker Little, Hank Mobley, Sonny Rollins, the Boston Percussion Ensemble, Abbey Lincoln, and more! CD

About as classic as you can get for the Brown/Roach group – recorded at Basin Street with a group that includes Richie Powell on piano, Sonny Rollins on tenor, and George Morrow on bass. Tracks are tight and in that firey hardbop mode the pair pioneered – and titles include "Gertrude's Bounce", "Powell's Prances", "Time", "The Scene Is Clean", and "I'll Remember April". Most notable is the work by Powell on the record – as Bud's brother really shines here, turning out some great original compositions, and arranging the group with tight precision! Plus, the CD reissue features 4 bonus tracks – including alternates of some tunes on the record, and a few breakdowns. CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing 2LP set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles include long versions of "Walkin", "Cherokee", "I'll Remember April", and "Woody N You". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles on this first volume include "Hot House", "Woody N You", and "I'll Remember April". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles on this first volume include long versions of "Walkin" and "Cherokee". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig! LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow up to the legendary Study In Brown album – featuring work recorded by Clifford Brown in the 50s, but not issued until nearly 30 years later, in this Japanese-collected batch of rare material! As with the original album, the core group on the record features Clifford Brown on trumpet, Max Roach on drums, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – plus Harold Land on most of the tenor tracks, replaced by Sonny Rollins on a few more – showing a shift that would occur in the group shortly after Brown's death. The focus is a bit more strongly on Clifford Brown's trumpet work than some of the other Brown/Roach albums – but is still a great group effort overall – and tracks are shortish and very tight, with titles that include "The Blues Walk", "Jordu", "Mildama", "Land's End", and "Junior's Arrival". CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Clark on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Max Roach on drums. Titles include "Sonny's Crib", "Blue Mambo", "Minor Meeting", "My Conception", and "Sonia". CD

Some of the hippest Max Roach work of the 60s! This album features one half of the set that was issued on Affinity as a double LP. This first side is made up of 3 tracks featuring Clifford Jordan on tenor, Coleridge Parkinson on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on some vocals – all recorded at an unknown location in 1961: "Long As You're Living", "Who Will Buy", and "Love For Sale". The second side has 2 tracks from a concert in Paris, with Max's group that included Tommy & Stanley Turrentine, as well as Julian Priester. The tracks are long and open-ended – with an approach that you wouldn't find on the group's Mercury sides from the time – both Roach originals: "Kardouba" and "Stop Motion", with the Turrentines stretching out in a soul jazz searching mode that's quite different than their Blue Note work. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album! At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound! The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums! CD also features the bonus track "There Will Never Be Another You" – with Oscar Pettiford on bass instead of Davis. CD

Great work from Max Roach's Double Quartet of the mid 80s – a group that wasn't just an octet, but an expansion of Max's regular four piece group with the addition of a string quartet! The core jazz sound of Odeon Pope's tenor, Tyrone Brown's electric bass, and Cecil Bridgewater's trumpet is expanded by a string group that includes Maxine Roach on viola – and that family relation is probably one reason that made experimentation like this easy for Max! The approach is a surprisingly great one – as the quartet seems to hold the Roach group a bit more inside than before – letting Pope and Bridgewater stretch out on their solos, but not get as sloppy as they had in some of the more outside Roach quartet outings. And the strings color in things really nicely in classic "with strings" jazz mode – but one that echoes more with 70s soul jazz use of such styles than earlier approaches. Titles include "A Little Booker", "Easy Winners", "Sis", and "Birds Says". CD

Sublime work from Max Roach – featuring a group that was one of his greatest! The album was recorded in Paris in the early 60s, and players include the Turrentine Brothers – Stanley on tenor and Tommy on trumpet – a killer frontline that really gives the album a hell of a lot of soul, especially when you add in Julian Priester on trombone and Bob Boswell on bass! The piano-less ensemble has a fantastic groove – more soul jazz than most of Roach's work, but also with angular touches of modernism that make the album have a very edgey quality – a perfect blending of the two best Modes that Max explored in the years after Clifford Brown's death. Stan and Tommy never sounded so great – and titles include "Nica", "Petit Dejuner", "Liberte", and the extended "Parisian Sketches" suite. CD

Some of the hippest Max Roach work of the 60s – issued here professionally for the first time in years! The first tracks in the set are from a concert in Paris, with Max's group that included Tommy & Stanley Turrentine, as well as Julian Priester. The tracks are long and open-ended – with an approach that you wouldn't find on the group's Mercury sides from the time – and two Roach originals in particular – "Kardouba" and "Stop Motion" – are especially great, and have the Turrentines stretching out in a soul jazz searching mode that's quite different than their Blue Note work. This approach is continued strongly in the set – which features Clifford Jordan on tenor, Coleridge Parkinson on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on some vocals – all recorded at an unknown location in 1961. Again, the Roach originals – especially "This Night Mountain" and "Ceciliana" – are the tunes to watch – but there's also some great other work, including "Jordu", "Who Will Buy", and "Love For Sale". CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

An excellent album from Max Roach – cut at a time when he was rising from the ashes, after the too-soon death of trumpeter Clifford Brown – and began working with really inventive younger players who would drive him into a whole new mode of righteous styles! That's definitely the case here – as Roach leads a group that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, filling in the Clifford Brown spot with a very different sound – next to Sonny Rollins on tenor, Ray Bryant on piano, and George Morrow on bass – players who really help open new doors in the music! The tunes are a mixture of the hardbop that Roach forged with Brown, plus a growing sense of the spiritual, slyly sneaking in, and working an agenda that is at once subtle and powerful – on titles that include "Dr Freezee", "Mr X", "Woodyn You", and "Body & Soul". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Minor Trouble", "Love Letters", and "It Don't Mean A Thing". CD

Beautiful sounds from the ultra-hip Max Roach Quartet of the mid 70s – a lineup that features Billy Harper on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Reggie Workman on bass! Tracks are long – very much in the Harper style of the time – and titles include "Mr Papa Jo" and "Scott Free (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Max Roach's masterpiece! This record is one of his most perfectly realized visions – and it's a marvelous album that combines politics and modern jazz, yet still manages to swing! The players are some of the hippest that Roach ever worked with – and include Eric Dolphy, Booker Little, Clifford Jordan, and Julian Priester – and the record features some of the best-ever singing from Abbey Lincoln! Abbey's incredible on the track "Mendacity", an incredibly haunting Civil Rights-era number that should go right up there with "Strange Fruit", and which features wonderful alto work from Dolphy! She also sings wordlessly on the track "Garvey's Ghost" – and then sits out the rest of the set so that Max and the group can wail on the tracks "Praise For A Martyr", "Man From South Africa", and "Tender Warriors". Incredibly hip – and a perfect blend of soul, jazz, politics, and pure righteous spirit! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". CD

An obscure one from Max Roach! The set was recorded live in 1968 in Norway – and it features Max working with Steve Lacy on soprano, Red Mitchell on bass, Steve Kuhn on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on vocals. Abbey sings on a few tracks – and the group jams on others – but a certain percentage of the record features Max playing solo, in that great way he used on the Drums Unlimited album for Atlantic. The whole album's quite varied – but it also shows the range of Roach's creative explorations at this sometime "lost" time in his career. Titles include "Prayer Protest From Freedom Now", "For Big Sid", "Drums Unlimited", "Profit", "Patty Pat and Midnight Variations", and "Prelude". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful step forward for drummer Max Roach – working here in very creative company with saxophonist Anthony Braxton! Although Roach could have easily rested on his laurels as a famous bop drummer – and have spent endless years touring on highly-paid revival/reunion tours – he was a true creative giant who never stopped expanding his talents, especially during the late 70s, when he was matching up with some of the greats of the avant garde. This album is a perfect example of that commitment to modernism, as Roach duets with Anthony Braxton on a set of 7 fantastic tracks that stand apart from individual work by either artist – more loose and open than earlier Roach work, but a bit more inside than some of Braxton's – with fresh results from both players that never fail to delight! Titles include "Dance Griot", "Birth", "Tropical Forest", and "Spirit Possession". CD

A genius collaboration between Max Roach and Anthony Braxton – a single performance that spans the entire record, and which showcases some of the best work by both players at the time! Roach is a real revelation here – coming off of an already experimental side of 70s sessions, but moving into even more of a deeply complicated mode here through a range of different percussion instruments, gongs, and cymbals – all of which help him unlock a more melodic side of his playing, which is then offset by even more dramatic rhythmic moments. Braxton is wonderful too – moving beyond some of his colder 70s moments and often unleashing searing solo intensity that rivals the best of the European free scene. There's a mix of modes, styles, sounds, and textures here that keeps things exciting throughout – and the album's a real treasure in the catalog of both artists! CD

A really incredible record, and one that stands as a strong testament to both of the players involved – as they work together with open-ended improvisational energy that's really incredible throughout! The set follows a style that drummer Max Roach would soon revisit on other labels – but is maybe the first session to showcase his incredible ability to open up and improvise, in ways that hadn't shown up on most of his other, earlier recordings – perfectly matched by the energy of Archie Shepp on tenor, who's still very much in the throes of his more avant years – sounding incredible as he spins out these bold solos with a deep sense of imagination and meaning. The set features the three part "Sweet Mao" – with titles that include "La Preparation", "La Marche", and "Le Commencement" – followed by the side-long "Suid Afrika 76". Just drums and tenor, nothing else – and brilliant! LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. Titles include "Parisian Thoroughfare", "I Can't Get Started", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Jordu". CD

Previously unreleased work from the legendary group of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – recorded back in the 50s, when Mainstream producer Bob Shad was working on the Brown/Roach dates for Mercury – but not issued until this set in the 70s, when Shad had his own label! The music here is right up there with the best 50s classics by the pair – really showcasing that amazing trumpet style that made Brownie a genius right from the start – next to some of the burning energy he forged with Roach in the group. Every player's tremendous – Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and titles include two Clifford Brown originals – "Daahoud" and "Joyspring" – plus Roach's "Mildama", plus the standards "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A late meeting between these two jazz giants! Tracks include "In The Beginning (Part 1)", "Arrival", "Georges Cinq", "Place De La Concorde", "Fountain Blues", "Just Dreaming", "The Theme", and "Oo Pa Pa Da". CD

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing 2CD set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles include long versions of "Walkin", "Cherokee", "I'll Remember April", and "Woody N You". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig – and even though the recording quality is sometimes a bit "live", it's still a great document! The 2CD package expands on the original 2LP set – and also features work from Basin Street performances from 1956, and a Copenhagen gig from 1953 – making for a total of 12 tracks in all! CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a jam session record from Emarcy Records – a set that almost seems as if they jazz label were trying to beat Verve Records at their own game! The style here is a bit more unusual than some Verve dates, though – maybe even more in the spontaneous spirit of a real jam session – with a lineup of all-stars that includes Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, and Maynard Ferguson on trumpets – plus Herb Geller on alto, Harold Land on tenor, Max Roach on drums, and either Richie Powell or Junior Mance on piano! There's a definite tie here to the Brown/Roach recordings for Emarcy – augmented by the presence of Powell and Land – but the others clearly change things up, and Dinah Washington even makes a vocal appearance on one track too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Darn That Dream", "Move", and a medley of "My Funny Valentine/Don't Worry Bout Me/Bess You Is My Woman/It Might As Well Be Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Not west coast, but "best coast" jazz – a prime example of the way the Clifford Brown/Max Roach team helped to cook up the intensity of the LA scene of the 50s by infusing it with a bit of New York fire! The album takes off in the extended mode of Clifford's All Stars album – and like that one, features Max Roach on drums alongside a lineup of players that includes Herb Geller and Joe Maini on alto saxes, Walter Benton on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, and Curtis Counce on bass – all jamming together in really extended, side-long tracks that have plenty of space for creative solo work and free-flowing improvisation! The format's a very unusual one for the 50s – and a great side-stream to the better-known Brown/Roach albums – with the 2 long tracks "Coronado" and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Rarely are such "meeting of the minds" sessions worth any fuss at all – but in this case, the masterful talents of the players turn what should be a snoozy "common denominator" session into a modernist classic that still crackles with excitement after all these years! The real success factor here is Ellington, who was hitting a point in his career when he was really beginning to experiment again – as you'll hear in the beautifully angular piano lines that he lays next to Mingus' bass and Roach's lively drums. The set's nearly all originals, and titles include "Money Jungle", "Le Fleurs Africaines", and "Wig Wise". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus the originals "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little, "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus, and "Me & You" by members of the group. CD

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus 2 other great originals, "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little and "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Max Roach was always experimenting with his music – even in the later years! The album's one of a few 80s efforts to feature Roach's Double Quartet – a group that takes his regular four-piece jazz group and augments it with a string quartet – all in a sound that's almost an extension of modes first begun by Roland Kirk in the 60s! The Kirk reference isn't accidental – as the title track here is a great version of Kirk's "Bright Moments" – one that uses the strings to offset the core jazz work of Roach on drums, Odeon Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Tyrone Brown on electric bass – all in ways that are as creative as they are playful, definitely in a Kirk-styled spirit. Other tunes follow suit – and use the strings to echo Kirk's dream of a black classical music, but also one that's always firmly jazz-based at all times. Titles include "Double Delight", "Hi Fly", "Bright Moments", "Elixir Suite", and "A Tribute To Duke & Mingus". CD

A major label effort from Max, but a record that's as hip as any he was recording at the time! The set feautres Max's quartet with Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Odeon Pope on saxes, and Calvin Hill on bass – plus a very small bit of additional piano by Walter Bishop Jr – and it's got an approach that mixes soul jazz with some experimental touches, and the occasional freewheeling percussion part by Max. Pope's work on tenor sax is especially nice, an edgey sound that recalls some of Billy Harper's work with Roach in earlier years. Titles include "Red River Road", "Lonesome Lover", "Wefe", "Reach For It", "The Dream/It's Time", and "Giant Steps". LP, Vinyl record album

The drums are certainly unlimited here – and the album's a really unique one, in that it shows Max Roach in 2 different settings – one with a group, and one that's simply solo! One batch of tracks has Max in the company of a tight group of soul jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Roland Alexander, James Spaulding, and Ronnie Matthews. The group is very tight, and they've got hard wailing sound similar to a Blue Note group, but with a bit more of a soul jazz feel. They play on two long tracks – "Nommo" and "In the Red". The rest of the tracks – "Drums Unlimited", "The Drum Also Waltzes", and "For Big Sid" – feature Max playing solo, which is a rare treat for a recording of this vintage. The tracks are great, with a very musical groove, and lively playing by Max that never gets too self indulgent. LP, Vinyl record album

The drums are certainly unlimited here – and the album's a really unique one, in that it shows Max Roach in 2 different settings – one with a group, and one that's simply solo! One batch of tracks has Max in the company of a tight group of soul jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Roland Alexander, James Spaulding, and Ronnie Matthews. The group is very tight, and they've got hard wailing sound similar to a Blue Note group, but with a bit more of a soul jazz feel. They play on two long tracks – "Nommo" and "In the Red". The rest of the tracks – "Drums Unlimited", "The Drum Also Waltzes", and "For Big Sid" – feature Max playing solo, which is a rare treat for a recording of this vintage. The tracks are great, with a very musical groove, and lively playing by Max that never gets too self indulgent. CD

Great work from Max Roach's Double Quartet of the mid 80s – a group that wasn't just an octet, but an expansion of Max's regular four piece group with the addition of a string quartet! The core jazz sound of Odeon Pope's tenor, Tyrone Brown's electric bass, and Cecil Bridgewater's trumpet is expanded by a string group that includes Maxine Roach on viola – and that family relation is probably one reason that made experimentation like this easy for Max! The approach is a surprisingly great one – as the quartet seems to hold the Roach group a bit more inside than before – letting Pope and Bridgewater stretch out on their solos, but not get as sloppy as they had in some of the more outside Roach quartet outings. And the strings color in things really nicely in classic "with strings" jazz mode – but one that echoes more with 70s soul jazz use of such styles than earlier approaches. Titles include "A Little Booker", "Easy Winners", "Sis", and "Birds Says". LP, Vinyl record album

Max Roach continues the fine line of work with his fresh-voiced quartet of the early 80s – a very hip group that features a young Odeon Pope on tenor, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Calvin Hill on bass! The work's similar to Roach's quartet sessions of the late 70s, although perhaps a bit more introspective – not as bouncing and joyous as when Billy Harper was with the group, but still freshly modern, and a good indication that Max continued to grow strongly as a player during the time – never content to just rest on his good name from the old days, and always forging forward into fresh jazz territory. Titles include "In The Light", "Good Bait", "Tricotism", "Henry Street Blues", and "Ruby My Dear". CD

Max Roach continues the fine line of work with his fresh-voiced quartet of the early 80s – a very hip group that features a young Odeon Pope on tenor, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Calvin Hill on bass! The work's similar to Roach's quartet sessions of the late 70s, although perhaps a bit more introspective – not as bouncing and joyous as when Billy Harper was with the group, but still freshly modern, and a good indication that Max continued to grow strongly as a player during the time – never content to just rest on his good name from the old days, and always forging forward into fresh jazz territory. Titles include "In The Light", "Good Bait", "Tricotism", "Henry Street Blues", and "Ruby My Dear". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Max Roach – one that has him finding a whole new voice in jazz! The set was recorded on the heels of Max's time with Clifford Brown – and it's a great little album that has him bouncing back nicely from the loss by moving into a new realm that shows off his more lyrical side! The group on the album features Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Sonny Rollins on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and as you'd guess by the title, most tunes are in a jazz waltz mode, which gives them a nicely dancing quality, soft and a bit exotic – almost modal at times – and a nice change from Roach's more full-on hardbop style of the Clifford Brown years. Titles include "Little Folks", "Lover", "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World", and "Blues Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A later percussion ensemble album by Max Roach – one done in the style of some of his earlier 60s percussion experiments, but with a fuller scope, and a more serious feel overall. The ensemble was first formed in 1970, but recorded here with a very ambitious tone as part of Columbia's classical/jazz crossover experiments of the late 70s – with percussionists that include Omar Clay, Roy Brooks, Fred King, Ray Mantilla, Warren Smith, Freddie Waits, and Joe Chambers. Titles have a variety of styles – some more tribal, some more jazz-based, and others with almost a 20th century avant feel. Tunes include "Onomatopoeia", "Glorious Monster", "January V", "Caravanserai", "Rumble In The Jungle", and "Epistrophy". CD

An obscure set from Max Roach – but right up there with his best work of the late 50s on Mercury and other labels! The album features the drummer in a quintet with Booker Little on trumpet, Ray Draper on tuba, George Coleman on tenor, and Art Davis on bass – a cool piano-less group that hits some really unusual notes! Draper's horn provides a deep bottom to the record, mixing with Davis' exotic tones nicely – and the album represents Roach's increasing penchant for experimentation in the post Clifford Brown years – tunes with an offbeat edge that's really great. Titles include "Pies Of Quincy", "Tuba De Nod", "Milano", and "Sadiga". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from the ultra-hip Max Roach Quartet of the mid 70s – a lineup that features Billy Harper on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Reggie Workman on bass! Tracks are long – very much in the Harper style of the time – and titles include "It's Time", "Calvary", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning material from Max Roach, recorded during one of the most righteous periods of his career – at a time when he was also working with superb vocal contributions from then-wife Abbey Lincoln! The group is one of Max's most striking, and most under-recorded too – as it features Coleridge Perkinson on piano, and the great Clifford Jordan on tenor – already a very righteous player, and one who's bold energy really sends things soaring next to Abbey's vocals! The group also features Eddie Khan on bass – and the set has a nice mix of righteous material and hip takes on standards – with titles that include "This Night Mountain", "Ceciliana", "Mop Mop", "Jordu", "Love For Sale", and "Who Will You Buy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Max Roach's most experimental albums from the 50s – a set of serious compositional works performed in conjunction with the Boston Percussion Ensemble. The feel is very much in the mode of 20th century classical work, such as the recordings in the 60s by the Percussions Of Strasbourg – with a wide variety of percussion instruments used on the set, and Roach's drums at the center. Titles include "The Music Inn Suite", "Evolution", and "Variations On A Familiar Theme" – all written by Harold Farberman, who directs the group. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of trio material by Max – and one of the best overlooked sessions by Sonny Clark! The small group setting gives Clark a lot of room to move around on piano – especially since he's the main soloist – and the album has a nice tight snapping sound, with lots of nice tracks like "Sonia", "My Conception", "Minor Meeting", and "Blues Mambo". Also features a version of "Sonny's Crib" – mis-labeled here as "Sonny's Crip"! LP, Vinyl record album

Bold work from Max Roach – great material from the piano-less quartet that features Odean Pope on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet! The style here follows strongly from Roach's Horo and Japanese recordings of the late 70s – as the album features one long track, with plenty of creative improvisation from the horn players – and rhythmic moments that get mighty open from Max, who's really on fire at this point in his career. Tyrone Brown plays electric bass, which makes for a nice sort of pulse – and Pope and Bridgewater solo with real force, recalling the same soulful spirit of Roach albums from eyars past! One long track – "Scott Free" – a soulful, spiritual gem throughout. CD

Bold work from Max Roach – great material from the piano-less quartet that features Odean Pope on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet! The style here follows strongly from Roach's Horo and Japanese recordings of the late 70s – as the album features one long track, with plenty of creative improvisation from the horn players – and rhythmic moments that get mighty open from Max, who's really on fire at this point in his career. Tyrone Brown plays electric bass, which makes for a nice sort of pulse – and Pope and Bridgewater solo with real force, recalling the same soulful spirit of Roach albums from eyars past! One long track – "Scott Free" – a soulful, spiritual gem throughout. LP, Vinyl record album

Solidly righteous jazz from the Max Roach of the 60s – recorded at a time when the player was really breaking away from his straighter hardbop roots, and delving deeper into more freely soulful jazz expression! The record only features 2 long tracks – each a side apiece – played by Max with a quartet that includes Clifford Jordan on tenor, Eddie Khan on bass, and Mal Waldron on piano. Jordan really takes off on the album – demonstrating a great ability for long blowing and creative exploration that was only hinted at on his other studio sessions at the time, and which really points the way towards some of his freer-thinking records of the 70s. Waldron is great too – bringing in some nicely darker colors that really help to round out the sound. Titles include "Speak Brother Speak" and "A Variation". CD

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". CD

Beautiful duets between these two legends – and Ibrahim's piano brings out some newly sensitive sides of Max's playing! CD

A wonderful step forward for drummer Max Roach – working here in very creative company with saxophonist Anthony Braxton! Although Roach could have easily rested on his laurels as a famous bop drummer – and have spent endless years touring on highly-paid revival/reunion tours – he was a true creative giant who never stopped expanding his talents, especially during the late 70s, when he was matching up with some of the greats of the avant garde. This album is a perfect example of that commitment to modernism, as Roach duets with Anthony Braxton on a set of 7 fantastic tracks that stand apart from individual work by either artist – more loose and open than earlier Roach work, but a bit more inside than some of Braxton's – with fresh results from both players that never fail to delight! Titles include "Dance Griot", "Birth", "Tropical Forest", and "Spirit Possession". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too quiet here – as the album's one of Max Roach's key classics from the Mercury years – recorded with one of the hippest groups he ever led! Players here are all wonderful – Julian Priester on trombone, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Bob Boswell on bass, and Max on drums – all working together in a very hip groove – no piano at all in the mix, which makes for even more interplay between the horns as they dance around tightly at the heads on each tune, always with sharp modern tones – then break apart beautifully for richly expressive solos! The arrangements are wonderful – proof that Roach was really moving past straight hardbop modes by this point in his career – and titles include "Quiet As It's Kept", "To Lady", "Lotus Blossom", "As Long As You're Living", "Juliano", and "The More I See You". CD

Nothing too quiet here – as the album's one of Max Roach's key classics from the Mercury years – recorded with one of the hippest groups he ever led! Players here are all wonderful – Julian Priester on trombone, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Bob Boswell on bass, and Max on drums – all working together in a very hip groove – no piano at all in the mix, which makes for even more interplay between the horns as they dance around tightly at the heads on each tune, always with sharp modern tones – then break apart beautifully for richly expressive solos! The arrangements are wonderful – proof that Roach was really moving past straight hardbop modes by this point in his career – and titles include "Quiet As It's Kept", "To Lady", "Lotus Blossom", "As Long As You're Living", "Juliano", and "The More I See You". Parisian Sketches features the same great piano-less lineup and a fantastic groove – more soul jazz than most of Roach's work, but also with angular touches of modernism that make the album have a very edgey quality – a perfect blending of the two best Modes that Max explored in the years after Clifford Brown's death. Stan and Tommy never sounded so great – and titles include "Nica", "Petit Dejuner", "Liberte", and the extended "Parisian Sketches" suite. CD

... CD

About as classic as you can get for the Brown/Roach group – recorded at Basin Street with a group that includes Richie Powell on piano, Sonny Rollins on tenor, and George Morrow on bass. Tracks are tight and in that firey hardbop mode the pair pioneered – and titles include "Gertrude's Bounce", "Powell's Prances", "Time", "The Scene Is Clean", and "I'll Remember April". Most notable is the work by Powell on the record – as Bud's brother really shines here, turning out some great original compositions, and arranging the group with tight precision! Plus, the CD reissue features 7 bonus tracks – including alternates of some tunes on the record, and a few breakdowns. CD

Dizzy is heard here in one of his famous Salle Pleyel concerts in Paris – but the real treat is the collection's late 40s work by Max Roach – fronting a group here that also features James Moody on tenor, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, and Al Haig on piano! CD

A legendary concert – recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto, with a previously-unmatched quintet of superstar bop players: Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums. This reissue set also includes the Bud Powell trio sides which were issued separately as Jazz At Massey Hall Vol 2. The quintet runs down "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", "Hot House" and "A Night In Tunisia" and the trio sides are "Embraceable You", "Sure Thing", "My Devotion", "Polka Dots & Moon Beams", "Cherokee", "Jubilee", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Heart Stood Still", "I Want To Be Happy" and "Lullaby Of Birdland". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Max Roach – one that has him finding a whole new voice in jazz! The set was recorded on the heels of Max's time with Clifford Brown – and it's a great little album that has him bouncing back nicely from the loss by moving into a new realm that shows off his more lyrical side! The group on the album features Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Sonny Rollins on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and as you'd guess by the title, most tunes are in a jazz waltz mode, which gives them a nicely dancing quality, soft and a bit exotic – almost modal at times – and a nice change from Roach's more full-on hardbop style of the Clifford Brown years. Titles include "Little Folks", "Lover", "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World", and "Blues Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' greatest albums from the early days – and a record that shows him making the shift into the groundbreaking style that would characterize his excellent work of the late 50s! The group features Mal Waldon on piano, George Barrow on tenor, Eddie Bert on trombone, and Max Roach on drums on two tracks (Willie Jones handles the kit on other cuts) – all coming together with a jagged sense of power that really shows Mingus taking charge – pushing the group strongly in a "jazz workshop" sort of mode! The album features a key reading of the seminal "Haitian Fight Song", a masterful reworking of the tracks "A Foggy Day" and "I'll Remember April" – and the tunes "Lady Bird", "Love Chant", and the very cool "Drums". CD

Excellent early hardbop material from Mobley – in a style that's similar to his early Blue Note work, but with a bit less polish. Not that that's a bad thing, though – as the long tracks create some strong interplay between the groups, and the rough edges bring out some good sides of the players' tones that you don't get in slicker sessions from the time. The groups include Barry Harris, Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins, and Kenny Clarke – and the CD features material from the full sessions that yielded the Jazz Message album on Savoy, with titles that include "Space Flight", "Cattin", "Madeline", "B For BB", and "Blues Number Two". Added to those tracks is a full bonus LP – recorded in 1953, under the title Max Roach Quintet With Hank Mobley. Despite the early date and boppish orientation of the material on, the tracks have a sinister modernist edge that easily belies the later work of both Roach and Hank Mobley. The set kicks off with the incredible stormer "Cou Manchi Cou", then slides into a crackling batch of cuts that include "Mobleyzation", "Chi Chi", "Sfax", and "Orientation". There's lots of amazing drum work, and some incredible arrangements that show a very far-reaching sensibility on Roach's part. CD

The legendary trumpeter Booker Little – paired here with drummer Max Roach, who was frequently Book's leader at the time! The set's got a sharp-edged and modern mix of hardbop and fresh ideas – very similar to the best Roach albums of the time – and with a similar sort of group – given that in addition to Little's trumpet, the set also features George Coleman on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Davis on bass! All arrangements were done by Little – making the album a real showcase of that bold vision in jazz that was taken from us all too soon – and titles include "Milestones", "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". CD

The legendary trumpeter Booker Little – paired here with drummer Max Roach, who was frequently Book's leader at the time! The set's got a sharp-edged and modern mix of hardbop and fresh ideas – very similar to the best Roach albums of the time – and with a similar sort of group – given that in addition to Little's trumpet, the set also features George Coleman on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Davis on bass! All arrangements were done by Little – making the album a real showcase of that bold vision in jazz that was taken from us all too soon – and titles include "Milestones", "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album