Max Roach (born January 10, 1924) is a famous jazz drummer. He was one of the first drummers to play in the bebop style, and was in bands with other famous musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins, and Miles Davis. In 1952 Roach founded Debut Records along with Charles Mingus. In the 1950s, along with trumpeter Clifford Brown he formed a quintet which was a prime example of hard bop. In 1972, he joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.