Max Roach

The bebop revolutionary who elevated jazz drumming to an art form, combining technical mastery with fearless political activism.

Maxwell Lemuel Roach was a pioneer of bebop and one of the most influential jazz drummers ever. With Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, he helped create modern jazz drumming, freeing the drums from strict timekeeping. His melodic approach to the kit and mastery of dynamics influenced everyone from Tony Williams to modern jazz drummers. Beyond music, Roach was a fearless civil rights activist whose album "We Insist! Freedom Now Suite" remains a landmark of protest music.