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

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

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". 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

Part 3 of a series of double LPs issued by Verve in the late 70s compiling his classic recordings for Verve under the direction of Norman Granz. Loads of landmark bop performances are documented here, and the groups include smaller quintets and quartets, as well as some medium sized groups and big band recordings, with sidemen that include Max Roach, Percy Heath, Teddy Kotick, Walter Bishop and others. 30 tracks in all, including "Autumn In New York", "Stella By Starlight", "Begin The Beguine", "Night & Day", "I Can't Get Started", "Old Folks", "I Remember You", "Now's The Time", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale" and "I Love Paris". LP, Vinyl record album