Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

A pounding, sprawling portrait of one of the bebop era's leading forces.

Director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, 2020) explores the life and music of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader, and social activist Max Roach through a remarkable series of creative peaks, struggles and personal reinvention.

From the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights years and his fruitful collaboration with the remarkable Abby Lincoln, right through to the heady days of post-war modern jazz, hip hop and beyond, Roach’s stunningly diverse seven-decade career marked him as one of the great musical artists of the 20th century.