Max Roach: All Africa (from Freedom Now Suite)

The horns only make the briefest appearance on this movement from Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite. We open with Abbey Lincoln singing over drum accompaniment: "The beat has a rich and magnificent history, full of adventure, excitement and mystery. Some of it bitter and some of it sweet." But the centerpiece here is the four-minute percussion solo, performed with grandeur by Roach. This is a dramatic moment in 1960s jazz. Indeed, the whole Freedom Now Suite stands out as a landmark event in Roach's illustrious career, and an important milestone in the still-vital efforts to fuse African and jazz musical traditions.