Max Roach Centennial Celebration with the Joe Farnsworth Quintet and special guest George Coleman

Join us as we celebrate the centennial year of one of the 20th century’s most influential musicians: drummer, bandleader, composer and social activist, Max Roach.

We are honored to welcome NEA Jazz Master and Max Roach Quintet veteran, saxophonist George Coleman, to the frontline of an all-star band led by world-renowned, South Hadley-born drummer and Roach disciple, Joe Farnsworth. Joining them will be Christian Sands (piano), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet) and Peter Washington (bass).

Roach began his career in the 1940s, playing alongside other luminaries like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. In 1954 he formed the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet which helped define the Hard Bop sound. His recordings in the 1960s were landmarks of the civil rights era. Roach was a member of the UMass Amherst faculty from 1972 until his retirement in 1994, during which time he continued to expand musical horizons, performing and recording with symphony, choir, and ensembles of all sizes, including as a solo percussionist.

A member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, a Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, a MacArthur Fellow, a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, and the recipient of eight honorary doctorate degrees, Max Roach left an everlasting impression on music, culture and our community.

This event is participating in the Card to Culture Program! They will be offering 10 balcony seats at a discounted price of $10 to any patrons with a valid EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card. To purchase these tickets, please visit or call the box office Tuesday through Friday between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Limit 4 tickets per cardholder per show. Tickets are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. Find out more at: https://massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/card-to-culture/