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It could be said that Maxwell took the drums from the background and returned it upfront to its place of respect. He also went on to teach at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and won a MacArthur Fellowship, (nicknamed the “genius award”) which has also been won by filmmaker Charles Burnett and science fiction writer Octavia Butler.

It was in 2003 when Maxwell appeared in Toronto to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “Greatest Jazz Concert Ever”. This was the event that united Roach, Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Charles Mingus on bass and Bud Powell on piano. Roach, Parker, Gillespie, Mingus and Powell performed at the world famous Massey Hall in 1953.

Performers at the anniversary included Herbie Hancock on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Dave Holland on bass and Kenny Garrett on saxophone.

The local 17-piece 2003 Massey Hall All-Stars band opened the show, and included some of the surviving original members of the 1953 CBC All-Stars band. Kollage member, Alexis Baro the transplanted Cuban played in the trumpet section.

Roach was brought on stage by Hancock. As usual he was impeccably dressed. In fact, he was “clean enough to cook in greens.” However not many knew that he was also suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer who first described it in 1906.

It became painful watching Roach attempting to play a drum solo as the debilitating disorder took over his performance. His body was at Massey Hall but his mind was on the other side of town. On impolite european sitting near me actually laughed at Roach. My Mau Mau /Maoist tendencies were tested that night. However, age had mellowed me – a teeny bit. Hancock politely escorted Roach off the stage. His legacy and unquestionable integrity preserving his dignity.

The North Carolina born - Roach, was instrumental in creating Black Music Month which is June. In 1979 Kenny Gamble co-founder of the Black Music Association (BMA) and Philadelphia International led a delegation to the White House to discuss with President Jimmy Carter the state of African (Black) music.

At the meeting, Carter asked trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and drummer Max Roach if they would perform "Salt Peanuts", to which Gillespie replied that he'd only do so if the President (who made a fortune as a peanut farmer) provided the vocals.

Roach was in the vanguard of the cultural boycott of South Africa. His album “We Insist Freedom Now Suite” was banned by the apartheid government. Caucasian music critics accused Roach of playing the “race card” with his music to gain publicity for his music.

The Freedom Now Suite put African internationalism in practice when he recorded the album. His group spanned the continents and the Caribbean islands, Nigeria’s drummer Olatunji was employed as were Afro-Cubans players of the same instruments. Roach was also joined on this date by his then wife vocalist Abbey Lincoln (Aminata Moseka), the legendary saxophonist Coleman Hawkins,trumpter Booker Little, and the great Oscar Brown Jr.wrote some of the lyrics. Brown and Roach split during the recording of the Freedom Now Suite. Brown told this writer that he and Roach struggled over the issue of violence or non-violence and over Abbey Lincoln.

While Sonny Rollins, Harry Belafonte, Roach and others of that generation pledged allegiance to Paul Robeson they all had a healthy respect for Marcus Garvey. Roach was deeply influenced by Paul Robeson and their views were similar on the role of the artists in struggle for African liberation.

Said Roach: ”It is my duty, the purpose of the artist to mirror his times and its effects on his fellow man. We American jazz musicians of African descent have proved beyond all doubt that we’re master musicians of our instruments. Now, what we have to do is employ our skill to tell the dramatic story of our people and what we’ve been through.”

I was blessed to know Roach for a number of years. I interviewed him many times and he successfully attempted to help one of my nephews Gyasi Williams get into the music business. He always attempted to pass on information to me.

In fact, it was him who told me about the song “King Joe”. “King Joe” was written by the African American Richard Wright; the music was played by Count Basie’s band and sang by Paul Robeson. He encouraged me to sell the idea to the CBC which was aired when Joe Louis died.

Roach will be missed.

Norman (Otis) Richmond can be contacted at Norman@ckln.fm 416 979-5251 ext. 2372
Richmond is attempting to syndicate his radio program Saturday Morning Live check this link: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/synSML/petition.