User:Tonyr7787/Maxine Roach

 MAXINE ROACH 

Early Life

Maxine Roach was born on May 12, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York. She was introduced to the world of Jazz from a very young age as her father was a world-renowned drummer in a self-titled group called Max Roach Double Quartet. Maxine Roach graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and studied with William Primrose who was a violist. Maxine started to develop her Jazz style into more of a Post-Bop, Chamber Jazz, and Instrumental Jazz.

Family

Maxine Roach is the oldest daughter of the influential, and famous Jazz Drummer Max Roach. Unlike her Father, Maxine’s main instrument was the viola. Maxine is able to recall the special bond that she and Max Roach shared over music. Max Roach also nurtured Maxine “as a daughter and a musician” She is also the daughter of Mildred Roach, a former spouse of Max Roach. The remainder of her family consists of Daryl Keith Roach: her brother and actor for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and additional movies. Cressie Roach, (Grandmother) and Alphonse Roach (Grandfather). Unfortunately, Maxine’s father died on August 16, 2007, at the age of 83. According to Maxine’s brother Keith, her family has always been Afrocentric and aware of its roots.

Career

Maxine Roach was active in making music roughly around the 1980s to the 1990s. Maxine Roach is known for her contributions towards the “Uptown String Quartet.” This quartet originally originated as part of the Max Roach Double Quartet. This group included John Williams and Cecelia Hobbs on violins, Maxine Roach on the viola, and Eileen Folson on the cello. During the year of 1986, the string quartet accrued their name the all-female personnel of violinists Diana Monroe and Lesa Terry, Maxine Roach on the viola, and cellist Zela Terry. By the time the quartet debuted in 1989 on record and as a separate entity of their own, they were joined by Eileen Folson. After this last addition, the personal remained the same. The Uptown String Quartet  was one of the first quartets to improvise the repertoire on Turtle Islands two releases (these were for Philips and Blue moon. They ranged from bop standards and traditional folk songs to new advanced originals. When discussing her father's involvement with the quartet, Maxine quotes “It was his idea to come up with the string quartet, not only the string quartet, but a strong quartet of all Black women to play with his quarter of four Black Men. It was his idea to have, on the stage, four women in the center and men around them. That was, visually, very impressive.” Maxine Roach was also a viola player for her fathers “Max Roach Double Quartet” before leading the Uptown String Quartet.

Achievements/Impact

Maxine, as well as her father, used their music to advocate for both black male and female artists. A great example of this can be seen by the formation of the Uptown String Quartet. This was a quartet made up completely of black female musicians, something that was very uncommon. When playing with her father’s quartet they portrayed a strong and proud presence of Afro Americans in music, especially Afro-women as the centerpiece of the group. Together with her father, they pushed the social standards that Jazz had at the time and “decolonized jazz” to make it more diverse. When asked about the Roach family, specifically about the late Maxwell, Larry Appelbaum, a music specialist and jazz curator at the Library of Congress, “Max represented more than just a musician or even a composer. He was at the nexus of music, civil rights, and black power because he was among the wave of socially conscious musicians.”

Honorable Works

Maxine Roach is also known for her works on “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019), “Do the Right Thing” (1989) and Malcolm X (1992)

References


 * 1) Yanow, Scott. “Uptown String Quartet: Biography & History.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/uptown-string-quartet-mn0001177522/biography.
 * 2) Wiesenberg, Rebecca Duke. “Remembering and Finding Comfort in Jazz Musician Max Roach's Legacy.” Massachusetts Daily Collegian, dailycollegian.com/2019/10/remembering-and-finding-comfort-in-jazz-musician-max-roachs-legacy/.
 * 3) “Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Legendary Jazz Drummer Max Roach.” GOOD BLACK NEWS, 26 Jan. 2014, goodblacknews.org/2014/01/25/library-of-congress-acquires-papers-of-legendary-jazz-drummer-max-roach/#more-7182.
 * 4) “Maxine Roach.” Discogs, www.discogs.com/artist/311415-Maxine-Roach.
 * 5) “Maxine Roach.” IMDb, IMDb.com, m.imdb.com/name/nm0730047/.
 * 6) Reports, Staff. “Uptown String Quartet To Perform Tonight.” Oklahoman.com, Oklahoman, 7 Nov. 1991, oklahoman.com/article/2374540/uptown-string-quartet-to-perform-tonight.
 * 7) “Daryl Keith Roach.” IMDb, IMDb.com, m.imdb.com/name/nm0729998/.