Max Roach Members, Don't Git Weary (LP)

(Real Gone) 6 tracks

Max Roach was not only one of the greatest drummers and percussionists in jazz history, but also one of the greatest bandleaders in all of jazz, able to adapt his playing to countless styles, from bop to free, and blessed with a keen eye and ear for talent. And throughout his six-decade career, he continued to push himself and his bandmates to find new musical expressions.

Speaking of Modi, this 1968 album on the Atlantic label is one of his best, a masterpiece of modal jazz with a first-rate lineup consisting of saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Charles Tolliver, bassist Jymie Merritt, pianist Stanley Cowell (who composed half the tracks on the album, including the gem Equipoise) and vocalist Andy Bey on the title track. Attentive ears might detect the first hints of jazz fusion, but Members, Don't Git Weary is simply modern jazz of the highest order. The first American vinyl reissue and long overdue!