• By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center celebrates the centennial and impact of percussionist, drummer, jazz composer, and social activist Max Roach with two events: A Concert and a Film Screening + Discussion, held on different dates at separate locations.

Grammy winner Cassandra Wilson shares her distinctive voice as Newark celebrates the centennial of Max Roach on Friday, January 26 at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall at 8 p.m.

Cassandra Wilson is featured on recordings by musicians such as Terence Blanchard, Bill Frisell, Charlie Haden, Angelique Kidjo, and Luther Vandross, and earned critical acclaim for her performance on Wynton Marsalis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Blood on the Fields album. Joining the celebration will be revered poets Sonia Sanchez and Saul Williams. Extraordinary musicians who share their gift of the special occasion are Ravi Coltrane, saxophone; Eric Revis, bass; Nduduzo Makhathini, Piano; and Nasheet Waits, Drums.

This unique production that only NJPAC curates will celebrate and educate many on the life of Maxwell Lemuel Roach. Roach is among the most excellent jazz musicians ever; he performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Sonny Rollins. He is widely considered one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz.

Renowned throughout his performing life, Roach has won an extraordinary array of honors. He was one of the first to be given a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, cited as a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, twice awarded the French Grand Prix du Disque, elected to the International Percussive Society’s Hall of Fame and the Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame, awarded Harvard Jazz Master, celebrated by Aaron Davis Hall, given eight honorary doctorate degrees, including degrees awarded by the University of Bologna, Italy and Columbia University.

CONCERT PROGRAM

MAX ROACH CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION:

‘Freedom Now Suite’ CONCERT WITH CASSANDRA WILSON

FRI January 26 @ 8:00 p.m.

MAX ROACH CENTENNIAL: ‘FREEDOM NOW SUITE’

Cassandra Wilson – vocals

Sonia Sanchez – poet

Saul Williams – poet

Ravi Coltrane – saxophone

Eric Revis – bass

Nduduzo Makhathini – piano

Nasheet Waits – drums

The revolutionary 1960 album ‘We Insist!: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite’ explored issues of social justice and racial inequality through the lens of jazz and poetry. In celebration of the centennial of Max Roach (1924-2007)—drummer, bebop pioneer and civil rights activist—this landmark work is reimagined for today’s world.

In affiliation with Jazz at Lincoln Center, this special one-night only concert is led by musical director Nasheet Waits (of Max’s percussion ensemble M’Boom) featuring vocalist Cassandra Wilson, poets Sonia Sanchez and Saul Williams, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, and bassist Eric Revis.

Experience the modern evolution of the Freedom Now Suite, a piece that continues to live, expand and inspire across generations. #MAXROACH100

“We American jazz musicians of African descent have proved beyond all doubt that we’re 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 Roach to ‘Downbeat’

TICKETS

For Tickets, visit NJPAC.org or the box office at One Center Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102 or call 888.GO.NJPAC.

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PROGRAM: FILM SCREENING + PANEL DISCUSSION

Thu January 18 @ 7:00 p.m.

Max Roach Centennial: ‘The Drum Also Waltzes’ Documentary

Film Screening + Panel Discussion

Celebrate Max Roach’s centennial with a screening of the new documentary ‘Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes’ at The Newark Museum of Art. Afterwards, a panel discussion will include Max’s son Raoul Roach and the film’s director / producers Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro.

‘Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes’ explores the life and music of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader and social activist through a remarkable series of creative peaks, struggles and personal reinventions — from the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights years, surveying the heady days of post-war modern jazz to hip hop and beyond. #MAXROACH100

TICKETS

This event is FREE and will be held at The Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.

NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city.

Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts.

NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. NJPAC.org @njpac

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) 

Follow NJPAC Online:

Website:      njpac.org

Twitter:       @NJPAC

Instagram:      @NJPAC

Hashtag:      #NJPAC

Facebook:      facebook.com/NJPAC

YouTube:       NJPACtv

Follow NJPAC’s Standing in Solidarity Series Online: 

Website:      njpac.org/takeastand

Hashtag:        #NJPACTakeAStand

Youtube:         Standing in Solidarity playlist

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, Spirituality, The Arts and Entertainment, Education, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)