Max Roach

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes explores the life and music of the legendary drummer, bandleader and social activist--a remarkable series of creative peaks, personal struggles and reinventions--from Jim Crow to the Civil Rights years, from the heady days of post-war modern jazz to hip hop and beyond.

This Sundance award winner tells the story of the U.S. government's jazz ambassador program in Africa and the CIA's involvement with the assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. A provocative, real-life Cold War thriller, "Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat" intertwines jazz, espionage, and colonialism - uncovering a scandal whose urgency is still resonant in today's geopolitical climate.