How Max Roach created the experimental sound of M'Boom
Clip: 10/6/2023 | 2m 12sVideo has Closed Captions
Max Roach founded M'Boom, a jazz group made up of experimental percussionists.
Max Roach founded M'Boom, a jazz group made up of experimental percussionists. M'Boom was his way of venturing into a more abstract, adventurous sound—including a song that recreated the sounds of a storm through music. "Max was one of the people redefining what the music is gonna be in every decade that he was active," said musician Greg Tate.
Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...
How Max Roach created the experimental sound of M'Boom
Clip: 10/6/2023 | 2m 12sVideo has Closed Captions
Max Roach founded M'Boom, a jazz group made up of experimental percussionists. M'Boom was his way of venturing into a more abstract, adventurous sound—including a song that recreated the sounds of a storm through music. "Max was one of the people redefining what the music is gonna be in every decade that he was active," said musician Greg Tate.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(performers whistling) - [Narrator] We did a whole piece, which described the elements of a storm, from drizzling rain, (rain drizzles) to a thunderstorm and lightning.
(performers whistling) (saw wobbles) This was one of the first abstract pieces that we did that, everybody just brought into.
(performers whistling) - He would give us an idea and we would hit on that, and then we would build on it.
Everybody would build on it, and that was real.
That's there, that's music.
- [Narrator] After a year and a half of rehearsing one day a week, Max got an endorsement from the Ludwig Drum Company, and at that point arranged our first European tour.
(hands slapping) That kind of established us as an entity, and we just kept rolling and kept performing.
(performer drumming) - I would say that of all of the Max Roach projects, this includes the Quintet, the Clifford Brown Project, all the stuff with Abby Lincoln, his solo stuff, the M'Boom project is probably his most adventurous.
(performer drumming) (audience cheers) - Max was one of the people redefining what the music is gonna be in every decade that he was active.
He was never resting on his laurels, and he could have.
(inspiring music)
Documenting the legacy of drummer Max Roach
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Max Roach was excited by the premise and promise of rap when it first hit the music scene. (2m 47s)
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
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Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach. (1m 6s)
Rare footage of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln's collaboration
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Take a peek inside Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln’s musical process in this exclusive. (25m 51s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...