Rise Up

By the grace of the Jazz Gods, we were able to witness Max Roach live and in person not long before he passed in ’07. Waiting for the performance to begin, a gentleman behind us told his lady friend, “You know, Max Roach is the reason I moved to New York City.” That says it all. And, among a lifetime of great works, perhaps our favorite Roach piece is the one (some of which you can enjoy here) inspired by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. That, too, says it all. Truly inspiring stuff at a moment in time when King’s legacy is more relevant than ever.