Max Roach, the visionary drummer, composer, and bandleader who was one of the most important musicians in the history of jazz and American music, died in his sleep yesterday morning in Manhattan following a long illness. He was 83.

Roach was one of the founding fathers of the movement known as bebop or modern jazz, and he was the drummer most associated with Charlie Parker, the central figure in the bop revolution of the mid-1940s. In the ’50s, Roach became one of the first bop drummers to establish himself as an essential bandleader, and he most famously collaborated with Clifford Brown, with whom he co-led another of the all-time great jazz ensembles. In the ’60s, Roach expanded his canvas both musically and contextually, turning to larger works in suite form, which were increasingly politically motivated. He continued to find new forms to work in and explore new avenues of expression almost up until his 80th birthday.