Max Roach - We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1970 Japanese Candid Vinyl LP)

Vinyl: EX
Sleeve: EX
Obi: None

Our grading system explained here.
Photo is of the actual item.

Max Roach - We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite Vinyl LP - Japanese Candid Reissue

One of the most powerful and politically urgent jazz recordings ever made, We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite stands as a landmark document of jazz as protest music and social commentary. Recorded in August and September 1960 at Nola Penthouse Studios in New York City, this suite was conceived as a musical response to the civil rights movement and the struggle for African liberation worldwide. This rare 1970 Japanese pressing, the first Japanese issue manufactured and distributed by Victor Company of Japan with insert, and textured cover replicating the original design, presents this essential recording with exceptional care and quality.

The album opens with "Tears For Johannesburg", a mournful reflection on the brutal realities of apartheid in South Africa. Coleman Hawkins, the father of the tenor saxophone, appears on this track in one of his final significant recordings, his warm tone adding gravitas and historical weight. Vocalist Abbey Lincoln's wordless cries convey anguish and rage more powerfully than any lyric could, while Max Roach's drums provide both rhythmic foundation and emotional commentary.

"Driva' Man" addresses the brutal history of slavery in America, with Lincoln's vocals depicting the relentless cruelty of enslavement and forced labour. Oscar Brown Jr.'s lyrics paint vivid, painful pictures, and Lincoln's performance is both harrowing and defiant. The young trumpeter Booker Little, just 21 years old and tragically less than a year from his death from uraemia, provides searing solos that match the material's intensity.

The centrepiece "Triptych: Prayer, Protest, Peace" is a three-part exploration of the emotional and spiritual journey from oppression through resistance to hope for liberation. This extended piece, featuring only Abbey Lincoln's voice and Max Roach's drums in stark dialogue, represents one of the most daring and emotionally raw performances in jazz history. Lincoln's screams, moans, and wordless vocalisations convey rage, pain, and determination with devastating directness.

Side two presents "All Africa", featuring Olatunji on conga drums along with additional percussionists Raymond Mantillo and Tomas du Vall, creating a celebration of African musical traditions and pan-African solidarity. The album concludes with "Freedom Day", an optimistic vision of liberation featuring Lincoln's vocals and the full ensemble. Despite the suite's confrontation with brutal realities, it ends with hope and affirmation.

Notably, this Japanese issue features modified track positions from the original US release, done specifically at Roach's request for this Japanese edition, as explained in the liner notes. The ensemble throughout features exceptional musicianship: Booker Little's brilliant trumpet, Julian Priester's powerful trombone, Walter Benton's tenor saxophone, and James Schenck's bass provide sophisticated harmonic and rhythmic support for the suite's powerful messages.

This first Japanese pressing, manufactured and lacquer cut by Victor Company of Japan, offers audiophile quality that honours the recording's sonic and emotional power. The textured cover replicates the original Candid design (including the replica cover number 8002), while the Japanese insert adds valuable context about the recording's significance and Roach's intentions for the Japanese presentation.