The Max Roach Double Quartet was the original home of the Uptown String Quartet. The 1985 recording featured John Williams and Cecelia Hobbs playing violins, Maxine Roach (Max’s daughter) playing viola and Eileen Folson as cellists. The string quartet was named by 1986 and had the following personnel: violinists Diana Monroe, Lesa Terry, Maxine ROach, and cellist Zela Terry. Monroe, Lesa Terry and Roach had already made their debut on recording in 1989 as an independent entity. The personnel would not change. The group was one of the first to learn to improvise (they were preceded in this by Turtle Island). Their repertoire (for Philips u0026 Bluemoon) includes everything from traditional folk songs and bop standards to more advanced compositions. Allmusic
