During the sixties, accomplished jazz drummer and percussionist Max Roach released a number of landmark records that tapped into the energy and message of the Civil Right's movement. These classic recordings included 1960's We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite, 1961's Percussion Bitter Sweet, 1962's It's Time, 1968's Deeds Not Words, and today's featured album Members, Don't Git Weary also from 1968. This incredible date featured both co-founders of the Strata-East label in Stanley Cowell (piano) and Charles Tolliver (Trumpet), as well as Gary Bartz on alto saxophone and Jymie Merritt on bass. The record is solid from start to finish, capturing the same energy that made records like We Insist! … and Percussion Bitter Sweet notable classics. Some of my favorite tracks on the record include "Effi", "Libra", and "Absolutions", with Roach's ferocity on the drums and Bartz's soulful yet uncompromising solo's leading the way. Overall this is an amazing record that just like so many of Roach's other dates from this era, is crying out for liberation.
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