“Freedom Day” Drum Solo

As an improviser, Nolan Mancl-Saxon seeks to be expressive and creative with every note, using his own sense of musicality to further the ensemble as a whole. “Freedom Day” was composed by Max Roach during the Civil Rights Movement, and expresses the myriad of emotions felt by newly-freed slaves on emancipation day. “As a white man, I was uncomfortable soloing on this piece at first; it wasn’t written for me to play,” Mancl-Saxon says. “After much reflection, I figured the best way to approach the song and instrument was the same way Max Roach did on the original recording. In my improvisation, I tried my best to conceptualize the piece like Roach while adding my own creative sensibility. I also quoted the original solo on each run of the tune in homage to the brilliant composer.”