Max Roach
Drums Solo on
Dewey Square

About

Max Roach closes out the solos on drums with a quarter of the form, following Duke Jordan at approximately 176 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of E♭, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. As a contrafact on "Oh, Lady Be Good!," the underlying harmony is well-trodden territory, giving the soloist a sturdy platform for creative exploration. Coming last in the solo order, Roach has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. Davis's solo demonstrates his increasingly confident voice, and Jordan and Roach each make effective use of their shorter solo spots. Max plays over just the bridge before the band comes back in for the last A section of the head.

Max Roach was 22 to 23 years old at the time.