We Insist! - Freedom Now
Encyclopedia
We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite is a 1960 jazz album containing a suite which Max Roach
and lyricist Oscar Brown
had begun to develop in 1959 with a view to its performance in 1963 on the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation
. The cover references the sit-in
movement of the Civil Rights Movement. The Penguin Guide to Jazz
has awarded the album one of its rare crown accolades, in addition to featuring it as part of its Core Collection.
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
and lyricist Oscar Brown
Oscar Brown
Oscar Brown, Jr was an American singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, civil rights activist, and actor.He ran for office in the Illinois state legislature and U.S...
had begun to develop in 1959 with a view to its performance in 1963 on the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
. The cover references the sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
movement of the Civil Rights Movement. The Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which are currently available in Europe or the United States...
has awarded the album one of its rare crown accolades, in addition to featuring it as part of its Core Collection.
Track listing
- "Driva Man" (Roach, Oscar Brown) – 5:17
- "Freedom Day" (Roach, Brown) – 6:08
- "Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace" (Roach) – 8:09
- "All Africa" (Roach, Brown) – 8:01
- "Tears for Johannesburg" (Roach) – 9:42
Musicians
- Max RoachMax RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
– drums - Abbey LincolnAbbey LincolnAnna Marie Wooldridge , better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was one of many...
– vocals - Walter BentonWalter BentonWalter Benton was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Benton first began playing saxophone as a high schooler in Los Angeles. After three years of service in the Army in the early 1950s, he played in 1954 with Kenny Clarke, Max Roach, and Clifford Brown. From 1954 to 1957 he played with Perez...
– tenor saxophone - Booker LittleBooker LittleBooker Little, Jr was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.-Biography:Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz. Stylistically, his sound is rooted in the playing of Clifford Brown, featuring crisp articulation, a burnished...
– trumpet - Julian PriesterJulian PriesterJulian Priester is an American jazz trombonist and composer.He has played with many artists including Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.-Biography:...
– trombone - James Schenk – bass
- Coleman HawkinsColeman HawkinsColeman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
– tenor saxophone (1) - Michael OlatunjiBabatunde OlatunjiBabatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
– congas (5) - Raymond MantillaRay MantillaRaymond Mantilla is an American jazz drummer. He has played as a session musician and toured with some of the most significant jazz musicians of his time...
– percussion (5) - Tomas du Vall – percussion (5)