Wall of Sound

Max Roach’s percussion ensemble which recorded from the early 1970s have a cult following – probably because the music is so interesting and the records so rare – and the recordings go for three figures when they do come on sale. Rather confusingly, though, those records made commercially available tend to have the same title. This leads to the assumption that they are re-releases. I have to admit that this had been my original assumption.

Working on the recordings I’ve got, I hope I’ve grasped it correctly.

The first record from the group came in 1973 with Re:Percussion on Strata East with seven tracks. Confusingly, then there’s an LP of the same title in (I think) 1977 on Baystate featuring two long tracks, and then a Columbia LP (released later on CD) which is usually dated as July 25, 1979.

Re:Percussion on Strata East SES 19732
Max Roach
Roy Brooks
Joe Chambers
Omar Clay
Warren Smith,
Freddie Waits
Richard “Pablo Landrum

A1 – Morning, Noon, Midday (5:44)
A2- Attention-Call & Response (0:47)
A3-Jihad Es Mort (8:15)
B1- Elements Of A Storm/Thunder & Wind (2:00)
B2-Inner Passion (4:04)
B3- Heaven Sent (5:08)
B4- Onamotapoeia (6:38)

Re:Percussion on Baystate (J) RVJ 6001
1. Giselle Street (17.25)
2. Jihad Es Mort (15.100

Re:Percussion released on Columbia IC 36247

Roy Brooks
Joe Chambers
Omar Clay
Fred King
Max Roach
Warren Smith
Freddie Waits
Ray Mantilla

1. Onomatopoeia (5.21)
2. Twinkle Toes (3.36)
3. Caravanserai (4.05)
4. January V (3.27)
5. The Glorious Monster (6.49)
6. Rumble In The Jungle (7.18)
7. Morning/Midday (6.53)
8. Epistrophy (4.21)
9. Kujichaglia (6.27)

There are also some live recordings in existence of M’Boom

Alassio in September 9th, 1979
Zurich Jazz Festival in 1982
SOB’s, New York in 1992.

And some You Tube video:
An extract from a TV documentary on Max Roach opens with a short except of M’Boom in concert (there’s no details) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xbASpL3-c&feature
A three-minute excerpt from another unnamed concert at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmYHyD1z008&feature

If I’ve got anything wrong here, or there’s extra information do let me know.