They had all this talent, and they had no instruments. So they started rap music. They rhymed on their own. They made their own sounds and their own movements.
Max RoachI will never again play anything that does not have social significance. We American jazz musicians of African descent have proved beyond all doubt that we are master musicians of our instruments. Now what we have to do is employ our skill to tell the dramatic story of our people and what we've been through.
Max RoachThe people who really got me off were dealing with the musical potential of their instrument.
Max RoachI used to take musical instruments home from elementary school. There were some music teachers there - we all learned instruments. A lot of us got started in public schools. Charlie Parker and Bud Powell, for example. But now there are no more music teachers in public elementary schools. It's like (Senator) Moynihan said, 'benign neglect.' Just let it rot and fester.
Max Roach