MAX ROACH
Members, Don't Git Weary (Koch)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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This album, originally released by Atlantic in 1968, found Max Roach leading a quintet made up of young players through a set that pushed the limits of post bop jazz toward the outer edges, coming just short of a free session. The most outside of the cuts, the title track, is the only Roach composition, and it's held back by the vocal arrangement performed by Andy Bey.

The rest of the material is drawn from the remaining players, with three tracks from keyboardist Stanley Cowell, who played both acoustic and electric piano for the date, and one each by alto saxophonist Gary Bartz and bassist Jymie Merrit. The lineup was rounded out by trumpeter Charles Tolliver.

The quality of play is consistently high, with Bartz and Tolliver in particular demonstrating strong improvisational chops. Cowell's material is especially strong, providing room for some of the most impressive solos. Roach is the rock upon which the whole musical edifice is built, providing a core of bop gravity that keeps the younger players within sight of land, if not exactly grounded.

This is a welcome reissue, reflecting a significant period and approach in sixties jazz.

Track List:

Abstrutions * Libra * Effi * Equipose * Members, Don't Git Weary * Absolutions

© 2000 - Shaun Dale