A documentary of the work of Max Roach as his groundbreaking sounds and ambitions challenged his career. Starring Maya Angelou, Gary Bartz, and Harry Belafonte.

This film gives us the highlights of a life well lived. The talking heads tell us about the ups and downs in his life, creating his struggles. The interviewers are family and co-workers in life that helped make the music he was known for. I didn’t know much about Max Roach before this documentary. He was a complex man, and I’m not sure he was easy to get along with as he struggled with conflicts in society at that time. The film did provide good insight into how he enjoyed music so much and was able to spread that joy to those who worked with him. Although, the documentary doesn’t go too much into the dark times in his life – it’s just a look at the surface of his life. It’s not worth the watch.