5. Max Roach

Born - 01/1924 | Nationality - American | Genre - Jazz

Max Roach was the most precise and musical jazz drummer in the bebop era. In fact, he was a pioneer of bebop, but also worked in other styles later in his career. He helped drummers gain respect as true musicians, and was big influence on the pulse being transferred to the ride cymbal.

Like many of the best drummers he started playing at a young age, and went on to play with many great jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and more.

His technique was excellent producing a sharp, crisp sound and he could play at previously unheard of tempos. Max's four-limb independence was amazingly good too, and was put to use in his drum solos.

Max pushed drumming boundaries further by writing some very succesful drum compositions such as The Drum Also Waltzes and Drums Unlimted that showed off the drum set as a solo instrument capable of creating structure, themes, and phrases.

His contruibution to the world of drums is massive. He was an innovator, he changed the way the drum set was played, showed what the drum set alone was capable of, and was a driving force behind a new type of jazz. Combine that with his style, technique, and creativity, and there's no doubt he was one of the best drummers ever and deserves to be in the top 10.