I Mess With This "Max Roach"

Twas the summer of 2009 in Birmingham, I was chopping it up with Mr Soweto Kinch over some West Indian cuisine. We spoke about Obama, Eminem, Crackheads, English weather, South African women and freestyle battles until he put on this Jazz CD. He said two lines to present it then let me listen. It was the vocals that did it. the eerie operatic vocal with so much angst. He mentioned Abbey Lincoln, and I couldn't make the connection. I reckognised the name but she was singing different like she was possesed. the music was sombre, edgy, too edgy infact. I looked at the disc again. This shit was a marvel.

That CD was Max Roach's "We Insist: Freedom Suites" a great snap shot of the 60s cultural revolution and civil rights movement. This is powerful music.

"whisper, listen, whisper, listen, whisper say we're free

rumers crying must be lying. Can it really be?

cant conceive it, cant believe, but that's what they say

slave no longer, slave nolonger, this is freedom day"

Booker Little on trumpet, Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Max Roach on drums, Julian Priester on trombone, Walter Benton on sax, Coleman Hawkins on alto sax, James Schenk on bass.

Artist: Max Roach

Album: We Insist: Freedom Now Suites

Stand out songs: Triptych (Prayer/Protest/Peace) and All Africa for Olutunji's percussion. but really this is a perfect album and you gotta listen from top to bottom.