"I remember trying to explain my concept of M'Boom to people
at the record companies, and all anybody knew was that each
man had a solid reputation as a trap drummer. And so when the
record came out, they were trying to figure, well how do we
market this ? Because we didn't have a sax player or a trumpeter
or a piano. "Is it Jazz?" No, it's a percussion ensemble. We just
wanted to see if we could come up with enough music from that
style of instrumentation.
So the marketing people decided to put M'boom in the audiophile
bin, so people with sophisticated equipment could hear all these
big drums and the little bells and shakers; the sounds of skins and
metal and wood and all these devices that make sense within the
fabric of each piece.
With M'Boom, the idea was to put the drummer on the front line.
We wanted to step up and showcase our musicality. Soon members
of the band brought in pieces that were multi-layered, with
numerous metrical changes and variations. And we had a wonderful
array of instruments : a big bass drum, two bass marimbas, an octave
of concert toms, five timpani, vibraphone ans xylophone, symphonic
bells, steel drums, musical saw, Afro-Cuban percussion and dozens
of small instruments." Max Roach
Rec. live in Alassio, Italy, on September 9th, 1979
(mics recording)
Max Roach, drums,whistle,vibraphone,xylophone,tympani,orchestra
bells,afuche,percussion
Fred King, marimba,orchestra bells,tympani,percussion
Omar Clay, marimba,tympani,timbales,timbales,percussion
Joe Chambers, chimes,vibraphone,marimba,xylophone,percussion
Warren Smith, drums,tympani,vibraphone,orchestra bells,percussion
Freddie Waits, drums,orchestra bells,xylophone,percussion
Roy Brooks, drums,musical saw,percussion,temple block,cymbal,
tympani,steel drums
Ray Mantilla, African & Latin percussion,triangle
1. Onomatopoeia [O.Clay] (16:21)
2. Unknown (06:31)
3. Epistrophy [T.Monk] (09:56)
4. The Glorious Monster [M.Roach] (18:16)
5. Twinkle Toes [W.Smith]
6. Kujichaglia [R.Brooks] (08:55)
7. Caravanserai [J.Chambers] (25:45)
8. Morning, Noon, Midday [O.Clay, W.Smith] (08:19)
9. Rumble In The Jungle [O.Clay] (09:49)
10. Encore (20:08)
Total Time 2:07:49
