"It's Time" - Max Roach 1924-2007

3 Haikus for Max Roach

Your bass drum

Soloing our Blood.

Sifting

Breaths into The

Beat......unbeat.

Your hands

Shimmering on the

Legs of rain

-- Sonia Sanchez

Reflections on Max's funeral today:

Performances by: Cecil Bridgewater, Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, Elvira Green, Randy Weston, Cassandra Wilson, Billy Taylor, Jimmy Heath, Gary Bartz

Readings by: Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr., Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Bill Cosby, Sonia Sanchez, Charles Rangel, David Paterson, Phil Schaap, Maxine Roach, Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts

Quotes of the day:
"Max Roach has modulated from time into eternity" - Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes
"When a great tree falls, it is wise to worship the ground from which it sprung" - Maya Angelou
"...and you played, and your hands reached out to God" - Sonia Sanchez
"Hey, Miles! Now that we've learned to play fast, Bird is gone!" - Max Roach, as told by Billy Harper

I wish I could quote Bill Cosby's monologue: "Max Roach is the reason I became a comedian"
Basically, Cos copped licks from well known drummers, until he saw Max play, and realized that only Max had hands that could move that fast. Years later, when he met Max, Cos told him, "You owe me $75 for that set of drums I bought."