Max Roach, one of the most influential drummers in jazz history, was born on this day in Newland, North Carolina. A key figure in the development of bebop in the 1940s, Roach revolutionized drumming by shifting the timekeeping role from the bass drum to the ride cymbal and incorporating complex rhythms and improvisation. He collaborated with legends like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clifford Brown, and used his music as a tool for civil rights advocacy, notably with works like We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.
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