Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
Directed by Samuel Pollard and Ben Shapiro

TICKETS

$12 | $8 Speed members

“An iconoclast who simultaneously refused to bow to record-company pressure to make music he didn’t want to while also never refusing collaborations with the next generation of stars, Roach remained a constant trailblazer.”—Christopher Reed on Max Roach, Hammer to Nail

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes is the story of a musician whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. His stunningly diverse seven-decade career marked him as one of the great musical artists of the 20th century and a pioneering cultural activist at times when the nation was steeped in racism.

The film follows Roach across a rich and complicated life, years of now-legendary achievement, deep personal struggle, and the price he paid for his outspoken views. His was an epic musical journey — from the revolutionary Jazz of the 1940s to the Civil Rights years, through experiments in hip hop, multi-media works, and beyond. 2023, U.S., DCP, 82 minutes. Recommended for 16+.