Max Roach Centennial

As the big band era of the 1930s and early ’40s gave way to the bebop era of the late 1940s and ’50s, Max Roach became the most important bop drummer through his work with bebop founders Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Roach was at the forefront of a new drumming style in which the ride cymbal was the focal element of the drumkit, and Roach’s ability to play extremely fast ride patterns set a new standard for drumming excellence.