New York, NY —
The jazz world mourned one of its pioneers today at the funeral of drummer Max Roach, who died last week at the age of 83. Musicians, writers, activists and several generations of jazz fans packed Riverside Church in Manhattan for a funeral that featured performances by artists like pianist Billy Taylor and singer Cassandra Wilson. Among the speakers who paid tribute to Roach were Bill Cosby; poets Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou and Sonia Sanchez; and New York Lieutenant Governor David Paterson. They spoke fondly of Max Roach's legacy as a musician but also as an activist who was strongly committed to the civil rights movement.