Max Roach was one of the most innovative drummers in music history, often reinventing himself in a career that spanned over six decades. Accessing literally thousands of hours of footage and photographs, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes is a rigorous and triumphant documentary about a legendary musician.
Structured in chapters, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes focuses on the many ways in which Roach adapted to new musical environments, as well as looking in depth at his personal life and his response to the major societal conflicts that were raging in the world in which he lived. Directors Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro both worked on documentaries about Roach, and that footage, along with volumes of archival material has made The Drum Also Waltzes (named from one of Roach’s compositions on his legendary Drums Unlimited album) not just a great cinematic portrait of Max Roach, but one of the most stunning music documentaries ever.
Director Biography
Sam Pollard is one of America’s most accomplished filmmakers, an editor, producer, writer and director who has won Peabody and Emmy awards and was nominated for an Oscar. He is the director of numerous documentaries, including Eyes on the Prize (1990) which was nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary.
Ben Shapiro is a director of documentary film and a producer of public radio programs. His work has garnered him Emmy and Peabody awards and includes Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (2012) and, with Sam Pollard, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (2022).