Max Roach- Percussion Bitter Sweet
I’ve decided to do a review of a great afro-cuban album, Percussion Bitter Sweet by Max Roach.
Personnel:
Booker Little, trumpet
Julian Prester, trombone
Eric Dolphy, alto sax, bass clarinet, flute
Clifford Jordan, tenor sax
Mal Waldron, piano
Art Davis, bass
Max Roach, drums
Abbey Lincoln, vocals
Carlos “Patato” Valdes & Carlos “Totico” Eugenio, percussion
This album has been labeled as one of the “best of his [Max Roach's] productive career.” I have to agree. The afro cuban arrangements are beautiful and there couldn’t be a better choice then Abbey Lincoln for the two vocals.
The first track is my favorite and one of Miss Lincoln’s vocals. Garvey’s Ghost
has an 4 bar percussion intro where the three of them weave three separate layers of 6/8 rhythm before the rest of the band comes in playing a simple melody in a complex harmony. Abbey Lincoln sings a voice of the harmony in a wordless vocal, moving to a more opera-type voice for the B section. The solos are well-delievered and to the point, but the real feature is a spacious drum solo by Roach.
Mama is a small-big-band number somewhere between Duke Ellington and Birth of the Cool.
Tender Warriors is a slow swing with an afro-cuban feel featuring Dolphy on flute. Roach and the percussionists switch between several different timekeeping devices and interact nicely during the solo. There’s a pretty avant solo from Dolphy at the end as well, this time on bass clarinet, i believe…
Praise for a Martyr is another swing tune with a strange, Mingus-esque melody featuring haunting and deep harmonies.
Mendacity is the ballad/blues of the tune. Very soulful with a vocal from Lincoln.
To close the disc, Man from South Africa is a 7/8 afro cuban beginning with scary, suspense-building harmonies from the horns, before the already bubbling bassline takes over into a fun, bouncy latin. First we hear a great solo from Julian Prester which is complemented by steady walking by Art Davis and driving, repetitive comping from Waldron. Next is Dolphy on Alto. Then the band returns with a nicer melody, a blues structure with the same time and bouncy bassline.
Overall, this is a great, creative disc and is a lot of fun for anyone who like any of the musicians on the disc and/or afro-cuban grooves.
Lots of fun! Go take a listen, and buy it!