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A partir de [[1942]] trabaja en los clubes de la Calle 52, donde en esos momentos estaba surgiendo el [[bebop]]. Influido por [[Kenny Clarke]], se convierte muy pronto en uno de los bateristas preferidos de [[Charlie Parker]] y [[Dizzy Gillespie]], ambos líderes del movimiento bebop.<ref name="Roach's account">{{Cita libro |apellidos=Ira Gitler |título=Swing to Bop: An Oral History of the Transition in Jazz in the 1940s |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5WF-uzhaLU4C&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Georgie+Jay%27s+Taproom&source=bl&ots=VUu2VDDr4T&sig=xbdb64bXpMxEjPzZgkRn38668x4&hl=en&ei=EJrnSqnbIYjyMdvD2aQI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CBoQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Georgie%20Jay%27s%20Taproom&f=false |fechaacceso=21 de marzo de 2011 |fecha=1985 |editorial=Oxford University Press |página=77 |idioma=Inglés}}</ref>
En [[1944]], contratado por Gillespie, quien forma un quinteto, graba por primera vez con esta formación, ampliada por [[Coleman Hawkins]]. <ref>{{Cita notas audiovisual
|título = The Complete Bud Powell on Verve|año = 1994|apellido = Harris|nombre = Barry|nombre2 = Michael|apellido2 = Weiss|páginas = 106|tipo = Folleto |editorial = Verve}}</ref>
=== Como líder ===
* 1953 : ''The Max Roach Quartet featuring [[Hank Mobley]]'' (Debut)
* 1956 : ''Max Roach + 4'' (EmArcy)
* 1957 : ''Jazz in 3/4 Time'' (EmArcy)
* 1957 : ''The Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker'' (EmArcy)
* 1958 : ''MAX'' (Argo)
* 1958 : ''Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene'' (Mercury)
* 1958 : ''Max Roach/Art Blakey'' (with Art Blakey)
* 1958 : ''Max Roach + 4 at Newport'' (EmArcy)
* 1958 : ''Max Roach with the Boston Percussion Ensemble'' (EmArcy)
* 1958 : ''Deeds, Not Words'' (Riverside) – also released as ''Conversation''
* 1958 : ''Award-Winning Drummer'' (Time) – also released as ''Max Roach''
* 1958 : ''Max Roach/Bud Shank – Sessions'' with Bud Shank
* 1958 : ''The Defiant Ones'' – with Booker Little
* 1959 : ''The Many Sides of Max'' (Mercury)
* 1959 : ''Rich Versus Roach'' (Mercury) – with Buddy Rich
* 1959 : ''Quiet as It's Kept'' (Mercury)
* 1959 : ''Moon Faced and Starry Eyed'' (Mercury) – with Abbey Lincoln
* 1959 : ''Max Roach'' (Time) with Booker Little
* 1960 : ''Long as You're Living'' (Enja) – released 1984
* 1960 : ''Parisian Sketches'' (Mercury)
* 1960 : ''We Insist!'' (Candid)
* 1961 : ''Percussion Bitter Sweet'' (Impulse!) – with Mal Waldron
* 1962 : ''It's Time'' (Impulse!) – with Mal Waldron
* 1962 : ''Speak, Brother, Speak!'' (Fantasy)
* 1964 : ''The Max Roach Trio Featuring the Legendary Hasaan'' (Atlantic) – with Hasaan Ibn Ali
* 1966 : ''Drums Unlimited'' (Atlantic)
* 1968 : ''Members, Don't Git Weary'' (Atlantic)
* 1971 : ''Lift Every Voice and Sing'' (Atlantic) – with the J.C. White Singers
* 1976 : ''Force: Sweet Mao–Suid Afrika '76'' (duo with Archie Shepp)
* 1976 : ''Nommo'' (Victor)
* 1977 : ''Max Roach Quartet Live in Tokyo'' (Denon)
* 1977 : ''The Loadstar'' (Horo)
* 1977 : ''Max Roach Quartet Live In Amsterdam – It's Time'' (Baystate)
* 1977 : ''Solos'' (Baystate)
* 1977 : ''Streams of Consciousness'' (Baystate) – duo with Dollar Brand
* 1978 : ''Confirmation'' (Fluid)
* 1978 : ''Birth and Rebirth'' – duo with Anthony Braxton (Black Saint)
* 1979 : ''The Long March'' – duo with Archie Shepp (Hathut)
* 1979 : ''Historic Concerts'' – duo with Cecil Taylor (Black Saint)
* 1979 : ''One in Two – Two in One'' – duo with Anthony Braxton (Hathut)
* 1979 : ''Pictures in a Frame'' (Soul Note)
* 1980 : ''Chattahoochee Red'' (Columbia)
* 1982 : ''Swish'' – duo with Connie Crothers (New Artists)
* 1982 : ''In the Light'' (Soul Note)
* 1983 : ''Live at Vielharmonie'' (Soul Note)
* 1984 : ''Scott Free'' (Soul Note)
* 1984 : ''It's Christmas Again'' (Soul Note)
* 1984 : ''Survivors'' (Soul Note)
* 1985 : ''Easy Winners'' (Soul Note)
* 1986 : ''Bright Moments'' (Soul Note)
* 1989 : ''Max + Dizzy: Paris 1989'' – duo with Dizzy Gillespie (A&M)
* 1989 : ''Homage to Charlie Parker'' (A&M)
* 1991 : ''To the Max!'' (Enja)
* 1995 : ''Max Roach with the New Orchestra of Boston and the So What Brass Quintet'' (Blue Note Records)
* 1999 : ''Beijing Trio'' (Asian Improv)
* 2002 : ''Friendship'' – (with Clark Terry) (Columbia)
=== Compilaciones ===
* 1954: ''Clifford Brown All Stars'' (Emarcy, [released 1956])
* 1954: ''Jam Session'' (EmArcy, 1954) – with Maynard Ferguson and Clark Terry
* 1954 : ''Brown and Roach Incorporated'' (EmArcy)
* 1954 : ''Daahoud'' (Mainstream) – released 1973
* 1955 : ''Clifford Brown with Strings'' (EmArcy)
* 1954–55 : ''Clifford Brown and Max Roach'' (EmArcy)
* 1955 : ''Study in Brown'' (EmArcy)
* 1954 : ''More Study in Brown''
* 1956 : ''Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street'' (EmArcy)
* 1979 : ''Live at the Bee Hive'' (Columbia)
'''Con M'Boom'''
* 1973 : ''Re: Percussion'' (Strata-East)
* 1979 : ''M'Boom'' (Columbia)
* 1984 : ''Collage'' (Soul Note)
* 1992 : ''Live at S.O.B.'s New York'' (Blue Moon)
=== Como sideman ===
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