Essential Vinyl - Max Roach Collection

Periodically on the study blog we will spotlight a musician and some of their essential recordings to look for on vinyl. Most of the selections are from our collection and most should be available out there fairly readily in used record stores for low, if not down right unreal prices like a dollar or two. With some quick cleaning and descent turn table you can have a nice collection of records to actually listen to and you don't have to download them or listen to obnoxious commercials in the middle of great music. 

Max Roach It's Time
Miles Davis Birth of Cool
Buddy Rich Vs Max Roach
Chet Baker Witch Doctor
Max Roach +4
Charles Mingus Quintet + Max Roach
Sonny Rollins +4
Slide Hampton Drum Suite

Todays' selection is a few albums featuring Max Roach one of the most influential drummers in the history of drumming. He was the drummer on many important early jazz records and was a star of the be-bop and hard bop movement. He also was a tertiary spokesman for the Civil Rights movement and even authored a drum overdub for Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech which can be viewed below. It takes some serious balls to overdub drums on a landmark speech. But take a look at how cool he was, that's a dude that can overdub one of the greatest speeches of all time and pull it off with style and ease and actually contribute something to the vibe of the thing. That's great work, from a visionary artist. Todays essential vinyl artist - Max Roach.