I am sucker for jazz drum solos.
I stumbled on two this weekend, both by Max Roach and from the same album, Brown and Roach Incorporated. The album features trumpeter Clifford Brown and was released in 1955.
The first song, Sweet Clifford, comes at you with break neck, hard bop speed, as if the musicians are trying to beat their record for running the fastest mile at 6:42. The musicians featured are Harold Land on tenor sax, Richie Powell on piano and George Morrow on bass.
At roughly the four minute mark, Max begins a solo attack that lasts well over two minutes:
Another solo arrives in the song Stompin’ At The Savoy – again at the four minute mark – but this time the solo is less aggressive, feels funky and loose, like Max is goofing around. For almost two minutes, whenever his drumming sounds busy, he quickly slows it back down.
I was unaware of Clifford Brown before listening to this album. Unfortunately, in 1956, Brown passed away at the age of 25 in a car accident. He only left behind four years worth of recorded material making this album with Max Roach well worth the listen.
Aaron Hartley 