''To the Max!'' is a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...

by American jazz drummer

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

featuring tracks recorded in 1990 and 1991 and released on the Enja label.Max Roach discography
accessed September 25, 2012 The album features Roach with various ensembles and combines live and studio recordings that celebrate Roach's diverse musical output.

Reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

awarded the album 4½ and its review by Scott Yanow states, "The music, which crosses quite a few boundaries, is consistently fascinating and forms a definitive portrait of the ageless drummer's wide musical interests in the early '90s."Yanow, S
Allmusic Review
accessed September 25, 2012

Track listing

''All compositions by Max Roach except as indicated'' ;Disc one # "Ghost Dance (PT. I)" – 14:50 # "Ghost Dance (PT. II) – 9:32 # "Ghost Dance (PT. III) – 6:19 # "A Quiet Place" – 3:51 # "The Profit" – 3:40 # "Tears" – 6:50 # "Self Portrait" – 4:02 *Recorded at Rev'O Jazz, Paris, on September 15, 1990 (track 7), Clinton Recording Studios, New York on June 15, 1991 (tracks 1 & 3), Master Sound Astoria, New York on June 24, 1991 (tracks 2 & 4) and The Power Station, New York on June 25, 1991 (tracks 5 & 6) ;Disc two # "A Little Booker" – 21:03 # "Street Dance" – 5:21 # "Tricotism" (

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Jazz bassist Christian McBride called Pettiford "probably the most imp ...

) – 3:17 # "Mwalimu" (

Odean Pope Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Pope was born in Ninety Six, South Carolina to musical parents and moved to North Philadelphia at the age of 10, where he learned from Ray Bryant. His talent ...

) – 16:33 # "Drums Unlimited" – 4:38 *Recorded at Rev'O Jazz, Paris, on September 15, 1990 (track 5), The Marquee at the Tralf, Buffalo, New York on November 30, 1990 (track 3), The Iron Horse, Northampton, Massachusetts on April 29, 1991 (track 4), Master Sound Astoria, New York on June 24, 1991 (track 2) and The Power Station, New York on June 25, 1991 (track 1)

Personnel

– drums, percussion *

Cecil Bridgewater Cecil Bridgewater (born October 10, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. Biography Bridgewater was born in Urbana, Illinois and studied at the University of Illinois. He and brother Ron formed the Bridgewater Brothers Band in 1969, ...

– trumpet (tracks: 1–5, 1–6, 2–1, 2–3, 2–4) *

–

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

(tracks: 1–5, 1–6, 2–1, 2–3, 2–4) *Tyrone Brown – electric bass (tracks: 1–5, 1–6, 2–1, 2–3, 2–4) *

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

– piano (tracks: 1-1, 1–3) *

Roy Brooks Roy Brooks (March 9, 1938 – November 15, 2005) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early life Brooks was born in Detroit and drummed since childhood, his earliest experiences of music coming through his mother, who sang in c ...

Joe Chambers Joe Chambers (born June 25, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, vibraphonist and composer. In the 1960s and 1970s, Chambers gigged with many high-profile artists such as Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea an ...

, Omar Clay, Eli Fountain, Fred King,

Ray Mantilla Raymond Mantilla (June 22, 1934 – March 21, 2020) was an American percussionist. Discography As leader * ''Mantilla'' ( Inner City, 1978) * ''Hands of Fire'' ( Red, 1984) * ''Synergy'' (Red, 1986) * ''Dark Powers'' (Red, 1988) * ''The Next St ...

, Francisco Mora, Warren Smith – percussion (tracks: 1–2, 1–4, 2–2) *Diane Monroe, Lesa Terry – violin (tracks: 1-1, 1–3, 2–1) *Maxine Roach – viola (tracks: 1-1, 1–3, 2–1) *Eileen Folson – cello (tracks: 1-1, 1–3, 2–1) *Robbin L. Balfour, Priscilla Baskerville, Ronell Bey, James Gainer, Florence Jackson, Karen Jackson, Lucille J. Jacobsen, Greg Jones, T. Ray Lawrence, John Motley, Christopher Pickens, Sarah Ann Rodgers, Abraham Shelton, Brenda Lee Taub, Thomas Young – vocals (tracks: 1-1, 1–3)

References

{{Authority control 1992 albums Max Roach albums Enja Records albums