Max Roach Members, Don't Git Weary LP

Max Roach wasn't just one of the greatest drummers and percussionists in jazz history; he was also one of the greatest bandleaders in all of jazz, able to adapt his playing to an innumerable array of styles, from bop to free, and blessed with a keen eye and ear for talent. And he always, always kept pushing himself and his bandmates to find new modes of musical expression throughout his six-decade career.

Speaking of modes, this 1968 release on the Atlantic label is one of his finest albums, a masterpiece of modal jazz featuring a crack outfit of saxman Gary Bartz, trumpeter Charles Tolliver, bassist Jymie Merritt, pianist Stanley Cowell (composer of half the tracks on the album including the gem "Equipoise"), and, on the title track, vocalist Andy Bey.

Discerning ears might detect the first hints of jazz fusion, but Members, Don't Git Weary is simply modern jazz of the highest order.

Despite the use of electric instruments, this isn't an album that emphasizes rock or funk elements or predicts the fusion explosion that was just around the corner. Members, Don't Git Weary is very much a straight-ahead effort, and the harmonic richness of modal playing is illustrated by such gems as Cowell's 'Equipoise,' Bartz's 'Libra,' and Merritt's 'Absolutions.' Roach's title song boasts a memorable, gospel-influenced vocal by Andy Bey, but all of the other selections are instrumental.