Max Roach Archives - Modern Drummer Magazine

Max Roach

Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.

Carl Allen: Learning From the Giants

  By Jeff Potter In the August print issue of Modern Drummer magazine, on sale now, topflight jazz drummer Carl Allen is spotlighted in our “Catching Up With…” series, where he talks about one of his many ensembles, the Art…

Jun 30, 2016

Famed Afro-Caribbean Drummer Steve Berrios Passes

Steve Berrios in 1994, standing at the corner of Broadway and 52nd Street in New York City, where the original Birdland club once stood   Modern Drummer is sad to announce that Steve Berrios died this past week at the…

Jul 29, 2013

Encore: Max Roach Percussion Bitter Sweet

From the get-go the message is clear: Hang on, there’s no looking back. The ’60s have arrived. This 1961 Impulse Records session is explosive, iconoclastic, and seminally political, radiating both rage and transcendent elation. Those who still thought of Max…

Jun 6, 2012

Vinson Valega: New York City Jazzer

Hey there, MD readers! Thanks so much for checking out this blog entry. I’m happy to give a big shout-out from the New York City jazz scene, which is still going strong and attracting the most amazing musicians from all…

Apr 9, 2010

Max Roach: Setting Standards And Raising Bars

If you were to ask any jazz historian to name who they feel is most responsible for setting the standards in bebop drumming, 99.9% of the time you’re going to get one name: Max Roach. Roach wasn’t the first drummer…

Dec 10, 2009

Max Roach

by Ken Micallef Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming…

Oct 19, 2007

Louie Bellson A Lifetime Of Greatness

"Young drummers should learn the history of the instrument. You have to know where you came from in order to know where you're going." When one of the greatest drummers of all time turns eighty, the celebrations continue all over…

May 12, 2004