Max Roach at 100

Tyshawn Sorey Trio & Sandbox Percussion

Friday, November 21 at 7:30pm
Baldwin Auditorium

A jazz trio and percussion group on stage

“a concert about percussion, and lineage, and about ignoring perceived divisions among genres, and the freedom to change course within the moment. Pretty amazing.”
Ben Ratliff, JazzTimes

“…virtuosic and utterly mesmerising”
The Guardian on Sandbox Percussion

“a showcase of supreme virtuosity, grit and groove”
Seen and Heard International

“Sorey is an innately gripping musical storyteller, even when he is working with minimal means.”
The New Yorker

a “singular and satisfying evening”
All About Jazz

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Tyshawn Sorey and his all-star trio—pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan—join forces with the visionary ensemble Sandbox Percussion to celebrate the centenary of legendary drummer, composer, and innovator Max Roach.

A bebop pioneer, Roach collaborated with jazz greats including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk. But this concert shines a light on his groundbreaking work as a drummer-composer with M’Boom, the revolutionary percussion ensemble he founded in the 1970s. Touring throughout the ’70s and ’80s, M’Boom redefined the role of percussion in contemporary music, inspiring artists for decades to come.

The evening opens with the Tyshawn Sorey Trio performing music by or associated with Roach. Sandbox Percussion continues the tribute with arrangements inspired by Roach’s legacy, and Sorey concludes the program with Cogitations, an original work honoring Roach’s enduring influence.

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Program

Tyshawn Sorey Trio

Selections to be announced from stage

Sandbox Percussion

Julius Eastman: Joy Boy (arr. Sandbox Percussion)
George Lewis: Le témoignage des lumières
Omar Clay / Warren Smith: Morning/Midday (arr. Sandbox Percussion)

Tyshawn Sorey Trio and Sandbox Percussion

Tyshawn Sorey: Cogitations

Cogitations was commissioned by Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, NJPAC, the Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music in the Library of Congress and the 92nd Street Y, New York.

About the Artists

Tyshawn Sorey

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey has performed globally with his own ensembles, as well as alongside industry titans including John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran, King Britt, Claire Chase, Roscoe Mitchell, and Steve Lehman, among many others.

The bar is set high for Sorey’s continued evolution and success. He was named the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Music winner for his composition Adagio (for Wadada Leo Smith), after being recognized as a 2023 Pulitzer Finalist for Monochromatic Light (Afterlife). Previously, Sorey roared onto the international landscape as a 2017 MacArthur Fellow and a 2018 United States Artists Fellow. Adding to his reputation as a multi-faceted talent, Downbeat Magazine recognized Sorey with its 2023 Critics Poll Award as a Rising Star Producer, while annually placing him near the top of its Composer and Drum Set performance lists. Other recent accolades include the Pew Fellowship, the Fromm Fellowship, the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Goddard Lieberson Fellowship, and the Koussevitzsky Prize.

Tyshawn Sorey’s Website

Sandbox Percussion

Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times and “utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, the GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion champions living composers through its unwavering dedication to contemporary chamber music. In 2011, Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, and Terry Sweeney were brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together; they have since captivated audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning. In 2024, Sandbox Percussion became the first percussion ensemble to be awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

The 2021 album Seven Pillars, featuring Andy Akiho’s title piece, was nominated for two GRAMMY® awards. Following performances throughout the United States and Europe, Sandbox Percussion performs Seven Pillars in October at the Beijing Music Festival. They will also perform the piece at select dates throughout the 2024-25 season.

This season, Sandbox Percussion and the Tyshawn Sorey Trio collaborate on a special Max Roach tribute with live performances that include the 92nd Street Y and the Library of Congress. Together, the two groups explore the extraordinary legacy of jazz pioneer Max Roach, who was born 100 years ago.

Sandbox Percussion Website | Instagram | Facebook

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When

Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 7:30pm

Estimated Run Time

100 minutes, no intermission

Where

Baldwin Auditorium
1336 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27705

Venue Details

Ticket prices

^$40Tier 1
^$30Tier 2
^$10Students*

Notes

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