Max Roach - We Insist!: Freedom Now Suite

1988 CD reissue.

At a time when the civil rights movement was starting to heat up, drummer Max Roach performed and recorded a 7-part suite dealing with black history (particularly slavery) and racism. "Driva' Man" has a powerful statement by veteran tenor Coleman Hawkins and there is valuable solo space elsewhere for trumpeter Booker Little and trombonist Julian Priester, but it is the overall performance of Abbey Lincoln that is most notable. Formerly a nightclub singer, Lincoln really came into her own under Roach's tutelage and she is a strong force throughout this intense set. On "Tryptich: Prayer / Protest / Peace," Lincoln is heard in duets with the drummer and her wrenching screams of rage are quite memorable.