Max Bill

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In the 1970s lower Manhattan's Max's Kansas City was the place to be, a perpetual meeting place for scene-makers and their satellites. In the summer of '70, The Velvet Underground was the house band, and their nightly gigs, propelled by Lou Reed's mesmerizing vocals, are the stuff of legend. Documented on a cassette player by one of the Velvet's entourage, this recording has since become the most famous "bootleg" ever, capturing one of Reed's last-some say final-performances with the band before going solo. It both immortalizes a precise moment in pop culture history, and also spotlights one of rock's most influential bands at the peak of their extraordinary powers.

This CD reissue of a Max Roach Riverside date is notable for featuring the great young trumpeter Booker Little and for utilizing Ray Draper’s tuba as a melody instrument; tenor saxophonist George Coleman and bassist Art Davis complete the excellent quintet. Highlights include “It’s You or No One,” “You Stepped out of a Dream” and Roach’s unaccompanied drum piece “Conversation.” This is fine music from a group that was trying to stretch themselves beyond hard bop.

This CD from Chess (originally on a 2-LP set) combines together unrelated sessions led by drummer Max Roach or Art Blakey, both of which were originally made for the Cadet label. Blakey features the 1957 version of his Jazz Messengers (which includes altoist Jackie Mclean, trumpeter Bill Hardman, pianist Sam Dockery and bassist Spanky Debrest) on a pair of Duke Jordan songs (including "Flight to Jordan"), a selection apiece from Blakey and altoist Gigi Gryce and a brief four-song "Gershwin Medley." The Roach selections are most significant for featuring a young pianist named Ramsey Lewis in a straightahead setting; the other musicians are trumpeter Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley on tenor and bassist George Morrow, and the music is dominated by group originals. Overall, neither of the two sets are essential or overly innovative, and unfortunately the sound quality is rather poor, but they helped to define what hard bop sounded like in the late '50s and will be savored by straightahead jazz fans and/or collectors.

"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1954 for American Decca. It was a number one single for two months[6] and did well on the United Kingdom charts; the recording also reentered the UK Singles Chart in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1954 for American Decca. It was a number one single for two months[6] and did well on the United Kingdom charts; the recording also reentered the UK Singles Chart in the 1960s and 1970s.