Results for "Maxwell Roach"

Max Roach

Born: January 10, 1925

Maxwell Lemuel Roach is a percussionist, drummer, andjazz composer. He has worked with many of the greatestjazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker,Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins. He iswidely considered to be one of the most importantdrummers in the history of jazz.

Roach was born in Newland, North Carolina, to Alphonseand Cressie Roach; his family moved to Brooklyn, NewYork when he was 4 years old. He grew up in a musicalcontext, his mother being a gospel singer, and he started toplay bugle in parade orchestras at a young age. At the ageof 10, he was already playing drums in some gospel bands.He performed his first big-time gig in New York City at theage of sixteen, substituting for Sonny Greer in aperformance with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.