Max Roach

Max Roach
Roach, c. 1947
Background information
Born	Maxwell Lemuel Roach (1924-01-10)January 10, 1924 Newland Township, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	August 16, 2007(2007-08-16) (aged 83) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz bebop
Occupations	Musician composer educator
Instruments	Drums percussion piano
Years active	1944–2002
Labels	Capitol Impulse!
Education	Manhattan School of Music
Spouse	Abbey Lincoln (1962–1970)

Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He worked with many famous jazz musicians, including Clifford Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington, Charles Mingus, Billy Eckstine, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Benny Carter, and Booker Little. He also played with his daughter Maxine Roach, a Grammy-nominated violist. He was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1992.

In the mid-1950s, Roach co-led a pioneering quintet along with trumpeter Clifford Brown. In 1970, Roach founded the percussion ensemble M'Boom.