Max Roach

LIMITED EDITION ON CLEAR VINYL

4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album!

At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound!

The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha-Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums!

PERSONNEL:

• Booker Little - (trumpet)
• George Coleman - (tenor sax)
• Ray Draper - (tuba)
• Art Davis - (bass)
• Max Roach - (drums)

New York, September 4, 1958

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. You Stepped Out of a Dream
• A2. Filidé‚
• A3. It's You or No One

• SIDE B
• B1. Jodie's Cha-Cha
• B2. Deeds, Not Words
• B3. Larry-Larue
• B4. Conversation