2007年VOA标准英语-Jazz World Mourns Loss of Be-Bop 'Architect'

By Doug Levine
Washington
17 August 2007

The jazz world is mourning the loss of one of its greatest drummers, Max Roach. Among the so-called "architects" of the be-bop movement, Roach died in his sleep on August 16 at a hospital in New York. He was 83. VOA's Doug Levine tells us more about this accomplished¹ jazz master whose influence spanned more than 60 years.

Max Roach (2005 photo)

The sound of modern jazz would probably not be the same had Max Roach not arrived on New York's bustling² jazz scene in the early-1940s. It was there that Roach found work with rising stars Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins and Thelonious Monk³. Duke Ellington gave Roach his first taste of show business when he asked the 16-year-old novice⁴ to play in his band when his drummer fell ill.

Max Roach was born in North Carolina, and moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was four years old. Roach once said his training came in the form of round-the-clock jam sessions. He worked seven days a week, playing downtown at night, uptown in the early-morning hours, and then attending all-day house parties where he watched and learned from such jazz greats as pianist Art Tatum and drummer Sid Catlett.

Max Roach performed on some of the most important jazz recordings⁶ of the bebop era, including Charlie Parker's Ornithology⁷, Bud Powell's Un Poco Loco, and Miles Davis' landmark⁸ album, Birth Of The Cool.

Roach's groundbreaking technique, combining rapid-fire drumming with innovative⁹ rhythms and timing¹⁰, often pushed the boundaries of jazz. In the 1950s, he was given the title of "greatest drummer ever" by his fellow musicians. Critics point to a 1953 concert featuring Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus as the peak of bebop. It was recorded for the album Live At Massey Hall.

Max Roach performs at the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, 16 June 2001

Roach also played alongside Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, and vocalist Abbey Lincoln to whom he was married to for eight years. In 1988, he was one of the first two jazz musicians to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, nicknamed the "genius grant." Never bound to categories or labels, Roach was later known to incorporate elements of Asian and African music, as well as dance, poetry and even hip-hop. He made his final recording⁵ with trumpeter Clark Terry in 2002.

1 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

2 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

3 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

4 novice   

adj.新手的，生手的

参考例句：

• As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。
• She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

7 ornithology   

n.鸟类学

参考例句：

• He found his vocation in ornithology.他发现自己适于专攻鸟类学。
• His main interests are botany and ornithology.他主要对植物学和鸟类学感兴趣。

8 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

9 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

10 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。