MAX ROACH - We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite LP

Highly recommended.

Includes bonus track "Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah".

A powerful album that deals with slavery. Featuring Abbey Lincoln on vocals.

The first song "Driva' Man" about the man who finds you if your off the plantation. It's a super intense song with an killer moody middle instrumental section where Coleman Hawkins really lets it go. The whole song has a kind of chain gang, hammer rhythm to it.
Next "Freedom Day" is much more up tempo, mostly instrumental, with lots of horns. The only song that really swings.

No other album sounds like this. It's strangely beautiful, strangely addicting, strangely powerful. Even though it was released in 1961, it still seems to exist outside of time. And--this may be cliche to point out--it's as important today as when it was recorded.

They say punk rockers eventually discover a fondness for jazz. Well, this may just be the one that makes this old punk rocker sit up and take notice.