We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite

Max Roach | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 1988)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Candid Records
• ASIN: B00008EX7B
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,945 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why the hell is this out of print?, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

It's a crime that this title should remain out of print in the U.S., and still very difficult to find elsewhere (my order for it has been put on backorder three times).

Not only is this a landmark in jazz, but a landmark in the way it reflects the civil rights movement of the 60's. The music is intense and stirring, certainly the most powerful music Max Roach has ever recorded (even more so than his great, masterful work with Clifford Brown). Recorded with Abbey Lincoln, at the time married to Roach, and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, this used to be a popular album among jazz enthusiasts, but for some reason it's been given some pretty shabby treatment, having been allowed to drift into relative obscurity. If you can get a copy for a decent price, pick it up.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, Mastered from a vinyl copy !!!, November 5, 2007

By 

J. D. Foster "musicmaker" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (Audio CD)

We Insist! Freedom Now...
Is a beautiful record and the digital download is a major bargain. BUT, be aware this is mastered from a vinyl copy. It has several pops throughout and the surface noise associated with a good (but used for 30+ years) record. Works fine for me but thought I'd add this caveat...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The pinnacle of political jazz., April 7, 2005

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Max Roach's "We Insist!" is one of the most powerful pieces of music ever committed to record. It is rarely available (although I was able to order a copy direct from Candid) but is worth taking the time to seek out, regardless of cost. With a band featuring trumpet genius Booker Little and sax legend Coleman Hawkins along with three percussionists (including Olatunji) and featured vocalist Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach and Oscar Brown, Jr., inspired by the sit-in movement, assembled a political album without parallel.

Before going any further, I'll speak of the most famous and most powerful piece on here-- "Triptych". Its a duet between Roach and Lincoln in three parts, an introspective, haunting opening, building in tension and power, before drifting to conclusion. It is beyond words to try and explain this piece, it really is something that needs to be heard. Listen to it alone with no other stimulus, it can be overwhelming.

The rest of the album admittedly has a hard time living up to this level of expression and power, but how could it? "Driva' Man", however, is nearly as stunning. A story of brutal slave owners, it begins with Lincoln over thin percussion before going into a positively haunting rendition of the melody and a moving solo by Coleman Hawkins (even with a squeaky reed). The rest of the album is, however, spectacular, and this is really an essential piece of music.