Buddy Rich
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer
and bandleader
. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.
, New York, to Jewish vaudevillian
s Robert and Bess Rich. His talent for rhythm was first noted by his father, who saw that Buddy could keep a steady beat with spoons at the age of one. He began playing drums in vaudeville
when he was 18 months old, billed as "Traps the Drum Wonder." At the peak of Rich's childhood career, he was reportedly the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world (after Jackie Coogan
). At 11 he was performing as a bandleader. He received no formal drum instruction, and went so far as to claim that instruction would only degrade his musical talent. He also never admitted to practicing, claiming to play the drums only during performances and was not known to read music. He expressed great admiration for, and was influenced by, the playing of Chick Webb
, Gene Krupa
, Dave Tough
, and Jo Jones
, among others.
and guitarist Jack Lemaire. He then played with Bunny Berigan
(1938) and Artie Shaw
(1939), and even instructed a 14-year-old Mel Brooks
in drumming for a short period when playing for Shaw.
At 21, Rich participated in his first major recording with the Vic Schoen
Orchestra (the band that backed the Andrews Sisters). In 1938, he was also hired to play in Tommy Dorsey
's orchestra where he met and performed with Frank Sinatra
. In 1942, Rich left the Dorsey band to join the United States Marine Corps. He rejoined the Dorsey group after leaving the Marines two years later. In 1946, Rich formed his own band with financial support from Sinatra, and continued to lead different groups on and off until the early fifties.
In addition to Tommy Dorsey
(1939–1942, 1945, 1954–1955), Rich also played with Benny Carter
(1942), Harry James
(1953-1956–1962, 1964, 1965), Les Brown
, Charlie Ventura
, and Jazz at the Philharmonic
, as well as leading his own band and performing with all-star groups. In the early fifties Rich played with Dorsey and also began to perform with trumpeter Harry James, an association which lasted until 1966. In 1966, Rich left James in order to develop a new big band. For most of the period from 1966 until his death, he led successful big band
s in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned from their 1930s and 40s peak. In this later period, Rich continued to play clubs but he had stated in multiple interviews that the great majority of his big band's performances were at high schools, colleges and universities, with club performances done to a much lesser degree. Rich also served as the session drummer for many recordings, where his playing was often much more understated than in his own big-band performances. Especially notable were Rich's sessions for the late-career comeback recordings of Ella Fitzgerald
and Louis Armstrong
, on which he worked with pianist Oscar Peterson
and his famous trio featuring bassist Ray Brown
and guitarist Herb Ellis
.
, he was also a skilled "match grip" player, and was one of few drummers to master the one-handed roll
on both hands. Some of his more spectacular moves are crossover riffs, where he would criss-cross his arms from one drum to another, sometimes over the arm, and even under the arm at great speed.
He often used contrasting techniques to keep long drum solos from getting mundane. Aside from his energetic explosive displays, he would go into quieter passages. One passage he would use in most solos starts with a simple single-stroke roll on the snare picking up speed and power, then slowly moving his sticks closer to the rim as he gets quieter and then eventually playing on just the rim itself while still maintaining speed. Then he would reverse the effect and slowly move towards the center of the snare while increasing power.
Rich also demonstrated incredible skill at brush technique. On one album, 1955's The Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich Trio
, Rich plays brushes almost exclusively throughout.
Another Rich technique that few drummers have been able to perfect is the stick-trick – a fast roll performed by slapping two drumsticks together in a circular motion.
In 1942, Rich and drum teacher Henry Adler
co-authored the instructional book Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments, regarded as one of the more popular snare-drum rudiment books.
One of Adler's former students introduced Adler to Rich. "The kid told me Buddy played better than [Gene] Krupa. Buddy was only in his teens at the time and his friend was my first pupil. Buddy played and I watched his hands. Well, he knocked me right out. He did everything I wanted to do, and he did it with such ease. When I met his folks, I asked them who his teacher was. 'He never studied,' they told me. That made me feel very good. I realized that it was something physical, not only mental, that you had to have."
In a 1985 interview, Adler clarified the extent of his teacher-student relationship to Rich and their collaboration on the instructional book:
"I had nothing to do with [the rumor that I taught Buddy how to play]. That was a result of Tommy Dorsey's introduction to the Buddy Rich book," Adler said. "I used to go around denying it, knowing that Buddy was a natural player. Sure, he studied with me, but he didn't come to me to learn how to hold the drumsticks. I set out to teach Buddy to read. He'd take six lessons, go on the road for six weeks and come back. He didn't have time to practice."
"Tommy Dorsey wanted Buddy to write a book and he told him to get in touch with me. I did the book and Tommy wrote the foreword. Technically, I was Buddy's teacher, but I came along after he had already acquired his technique."
When asked about Rich's ability to read music, Bobby Shew
, lead trumpeter in Rich's mid-60s big band replied,
classic West Side Story, first released on the 1966 album Buddy Rich's Swingin' New Big Band
The West Side Story medley is a complex and difficult-to-perform big-band arrangement which highlights Rich's remarkable ability to blend the rhythm of his drumming into his band's playing of the musical chart. Penned by Bill Reddie, Rich received the West Side Story arrangement of Leonard Bernstein
's melodies from the famed musical in the mid-1960s and found it to be very challenging even for him. It consists of many rapid-fire time changes and signatures and took almost a month of constant rehearsals to perfect. It since became a staple in all his performances, clocking in at various lengths from seven to fifteen minutes. Bernstein himself had nothing but praise for it. In 2002, a DVD was released called The Lost West Side Story Tapes that captured a 1985 performance of this along with other numbers. These tapes had been previously thought to have been lost in a fire. Rich's ability to create spontaneous drum solos that matched and melded with the musical intricacies and intensity of big band scores was chief among his musical brilliance.
In Italy
, Rich's version of Winning the West was from 1973 to 1976 the musical theme of a weekly TV sports magazine broadcast, La domenica sportiva.
and other television variety shows. Beginning in 1962, Rich was also a frequent guest on Johnny Carson
's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show
, among others, and appeared with his Big Band on British television, on Michael Parkinson
's talk show Parkinson
and on the Terry Wogan
Show (the last on October 29, 1986, only a few months prior to his death). Along with singer Buddy Greco
and comedian George Carlin
, Rich starred in a 1967 summer replacement television series called Away We Go. One of his most widely seen television performances was in a 1981 episode of The Muppet Show
, where he engaged Muppet drummer "Animal" (played by Ronnie Verrell
) in a drum battle. Rich also made guest appearances on the TV shows Here's Lucy
and Hee Haw
.
In an episode of Michael Parkinson
's British talk show, Parkinson kidded Rich about his Donny Osmond kick, by claiming that Rich was the president of The Osmonds
' fan club.
. He switched to Ludwig
drums for much of the 1970s to the early 1980s. While recovering from a heart attack in 1959, Rich was presented with an original Slingerland Radio King 5X14 wood snare drum completely reconditioned by the Eames
drum company. Later, a mismatched Radio King set was completely refurbished for Rich and he used that set right up to his death in 1987. His typical setup included a 14"X26" bass drum, 9"X13" mounted tom, two 16"X16" floor toms (although he rarely used the second tom where he would simply place a towel on the surface), and a 5"X14" snare drum. His cymbals were typically Zildjian consisting of standard 14" hi hats, 20" ride, either a 6" or 8" splash, two 18" crashes, and a 20" swish.
allegedly slapped Rich after several days of "putting up with Rich's insults and show-biz sabotage."
In the Beastie Boys
song "Sabotage", the lyrics "I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle," referred to Rich's temper. Buddy Rich held a black belt
in karate
, as mentioned in a CNN television interview with Larry King
, c. 1985.
Band member and lifelong friend David Lucas
says that "Rich had a soft heart underneath it all. His favorite song was "It's Not Easy Being Green".
form, have done much to fuel the reputation of Rich's personality. The tapes were popular with comedians Jerry Seinfeld
and Larry David
, who used three quotes from them more or less verbatim on Seinfeld
:
On one recording, Rich threatens to fire Dave Panichi
, a trombonist, for wearing a beard
. Days before Rich died, he was visited by Mel Tormé
, who claims that one of Rich's last requests was "to hear the tapes" that featured his angry outbursts. At the time, Tormé was working on an authorized biography of Rich which was released after Rich's death, titled Traps, The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich.
in Los Angeles. He was 69.
Since Rich's death, a number of memorial concerts have been held. In 1994, the Rich tribute album Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich
was released. Produced by Rush
drummer/lyricist Neil Peart
, the album features performances of Rich staples by a number of rock and jazz drummers such as Kenny Aronoff
, Matt Sorum
, Dave Weckl
, Steve Gadd
, Max Roach
, Steve Smith
, and Peart himself, accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band. A second volume was issued in 1997.
Jazz drumming
Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz-rock fusion and 1980s-era latin jazz...
and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.
Early life
Rich was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, to Jewish vaudevillian
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
s Robert and Bess Rich. His talent for rhythm was first noted by his father, who saw that Buddy could keep a steady beat with spoons at the age of one. He began playing drums in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
when he was 18 months old, billed as "Traps the Drum Wonder." At the peak of Rich's childhood career, he was reportedly the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world (after Jackie Coogan
Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan , known professionally as Jackie Coogan, was an American actor who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester on 1960s sitcom The Addams Family...
). At 11 he was performing as a bandleader. He received no formal drum instruction, and went so far as to claim that instruction would only degrade his musical talent. He also never admitted to practicing, claiming to play the drums only during performances and was not known to read music. He expressed great admiration for, and was influenced by, the playing of Chick Webb
Chick Webb
William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader.-Biography:...
, Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
, Dave Tough
Dave Tough
Dave Tough was an American jazz drummer associated with both Dixieland and swing jazz in the 1930s and 1940s...
, and Jo Jones
Jo Jones
Jo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
, among others.
Jazz career
Rich first played jazz with a major group in 1937 with Joe MarsalaJoe Marsala
Joe Marsala was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist and songwriter, born and based in Chicago. He was active during the big band era. Marsala is notable as one of the early employers of drummer Buddy Rich. Among his other musicians included pianist Joe Bushkin and guitarist Jack Lemaire, Carmen...
and guitarist Jack Lemaire. He then played with Bunny Berigan
Bunny Berigan
Rowland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan was an American jazz trumpeter who rose to fame during the swing era, but whose virtuosity and influence were shortened by a losing battle with alcoholism that ended in his early death at age 33. He composed the jazz instrumentals "Chicken and Waffles" and "Blues"...
(1938) and Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
(1939), and even instructed a 14-year-old Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
in drumming for a short period when playing for Shaw.
At 21, Rich participated in his first major recording with the Vic Schoen
Vic Schoen
Victor "Vic" Schoen was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000...
Orchestra (the band that backed the Andrews Sisters). In 1938, he was also hired to play in Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
's orchestra where he met and performed with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. In 1942, Rich left the Dorsey band to join the United States Marine Corps. He rejoined the Dorsey group after leaving the Marines two years later. In 1946, Rich formed his own band with financial support from Sinatra, and continued to lead different groups on and off until the early fifties.
In addition to Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
(1939–1942, 1945, 1954–1955), Rich also played with Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
(1942), Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
(1953-1956–1962, 1964, 1965), Les Brown
Les Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
, Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader.Ventura was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division...
, and Jazz at the Philharmonic
Jazz at the Philharmonic
Jazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP, was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz....
, as well as leading his own band and performing with all-star groups. In the early fifties Rich played with Dorsey and also began to perform with trumpeter Harry James, an association which lasted until 1966. In 1966, Rich left James in order to develop a new big band. For most of the period from 1966 until his death, he led successful big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned from their 1930s and 40s peak. In this later period, Rich continued to play clubs but he had stated in multiple interviews that the great majority of his big band's performances were at high schools, colleges and universities, with club performances done to a much lesser degree. Rich also served as the session drummer for many recordings, where his playing was often much more understated than in his own big-band performances. Especially notable were Rich's sessions for the late-career comeback recordings of Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, on which he worked with pianist Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
and his famous trio featuring bassist Ray Brown
Ray Brown (musician)
Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
and guitarist Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert "Herb" Ellis was an American jazz guitarist. Perhaps best known for his 1950s membership in the trio of pianist Oscar Peterson, Ellis was also a staple of west-coast studio recording sessions, and was described by critic Scott Yanow as "an excellent bop-based guitarist with a...
.
Drumming technique and well known performances
Rich's technique has been one of the most standardized and coveted in drumming. His dexterity, musicality of playing style, speed and smooth execution are considered "holy grails" of drum technique and have been considered next to impossible to duplicate. While Rich typically held his sticks using traditional gripTraditional grip
Traditional grip is a technique used to hold drum sticks while playing percussion instruments. Unlike matched grip, each hand holds the stick differently. Commonly, the right hand uses an overhand grip and the left hand uses an underhand grip...
, he was also a skilled "match grip" player, and was one of few drummers to master the one-handed roll
Drum roll
A drum roll is a technique the percussionist employs to produce a sustained sound on a percussion instrument. Rolls are used by composers to sustain the sound and create other effects, the most common of which is using a roll to build anticipation.- Snare drum roll :The most common snare drum roll...
on both hands. Some of his more spectacular moves are crossover riffs, where he would criss-cross his arms from one drum to another, sometimes over the arm, and even under the arm at great speed.
He often used contrasting techniques to keep long drum solos from getting mundane. Aside from his energetic explosive displays, he would go into quieter passages. One passage he would use in most solos starts with a simple single-stroke roll on the snare picking up speed and power, then slowly moving his sticks closer to the rim as he gets quieter and then eventually playing on just the rim itself while still maintaining speed. Then he would reverse the effect and slowly move towards the center of the snare while increasing power.
Rich also demonstrated incredible skill at brush technique. On one album, 1955's The Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich Trio
The Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich Trio
The Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich Trio is a 1955 studio album by Lionel Hampton, Art Tatum and Buddy Rich for Norman Granz' Clef Records...
, Rich plays brushes almost exclusively throughout.
Another Rich technique that few drummers have been able to perfect is the stick-trick – a fast roll performed by slapping two drumsticks together in a circular motion.
In 1942, Rich and drum teacher Henry Adler
Henry Adler
Henry Adler was an American drummer, percussionist, music teacher, author, publisher, instrument manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and authority on drumset technique...
co-authored the instructional book Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments, regarded as one of the more popular snare-drum rudiment books.
One of Adler's former students introduced Adler to Rich. "The kid told me Buddy played better than [Gene] Krupa. Buddy was only in his teens at the time and his friend was my first pupil. Buddy played and I watched his hands. Well, he knocked me right out. He did everything I wanted to do, and he did it with such ease. When I met his folks, I asked them who his teacher was. 'He never studied,' they told me. That made me feel very good. I realized that it was something physical, not only mental, that you had to have."
In a 1985 interview, Adler clarified the extent of his teacher-student relationship to Rich and their collaboration on the instructional book:
"I had nothing to do with [the rumor that I taught Buddy how to play]. That was a result of Tommy Dorsey's introduction to the Buddy Rich book," Adler said. "I used to go around denying it, knowing that Buddy was a natural player. Sure, he studied with me, but he didn't come to me to learn how to hold the drumsticks. I set out to teach Buddy to read. He'd take six lessons, go on the road for six weeks and come back. He didn't have time to practice."
"Tommy Dorsey wanted Buddy to write a book and he told him to get in touch with me. I did the book and Tommy wrote the foreword. Technically, I was Buddy's teacher, but I came along after he had already acquired his technique."
When asked about Rich's ability to read music, Bobby Shew
Bobby Shew
-Biography:After leaving college in 1960, Shew was drafted into the U.S. Army and played trumpet with the NORAD band in Colorado Springs and on tour. After leaving the Army, Shew joined Tommy Dorsey's band and then played with the Woody Herman and then the Buddy Rich Big Bands in the mid-to-late...
, lead trumpeter in Rich's mid-60s big band replied,
- "No. He’d always have a drummer there during rehearsals to read and play the parts initially on new arrangements... He’d only have to listen to a chart once and he’d have it memorized. We'd run through it and he'd know exactly how it went, how many measures it ran and what he'd have to do to drive it... The guy had the most natural instincts."
The West Side Story Medley
Perhaps his most popular later performance was a big band arrangement of a medley derived from the Leonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
classic West Side Story, first released on the 1966 album Buddy Rich's Swingin' New Big Band
Swingin' New Big Band
Swingin' New Big Band is a 1966 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band. -Track listing:LP side A:#"Ready Mix" – 3:22#"Basically Blues" – 5:39#"Critic's Choice" – 3:28...
The West Side Story medley is a complex and difficult-to-perform big-band arrangement which highlights Rich's remarkable ability to blend the rhythm of his drumming into his band's playing of the musical chart. Penned by Bill Reddie, Rich received the West Side Story arrangement of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's melodies from the famed musical in the mid-1960s and found it to be very challenging even for him. It consists of many rapid-fire time changes and signatures and took almost a month of constant rehearsals to perfect. It since became a staple in all his performances, clocking in at various lengths from seven to fifteen minutes. Bernstein himself had nothing but praise for it. In 2002, a DVD was released called The Lost West Side Story Tapes that captured a 1985 performance of this along with other numbers. These tapes had been previously thought to have been lost in a fire. Rich's ability to create spontaneous drum solos that matched and melded with the musical intricacies and intensity of big band scores was chief among his musical brilliance.
Channel One Suite
After the West Side Story Medley, Rich's most famous performance was the Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie. Like the West Side Story Medley, the Channel One Suite generally was a quite long performance ranging from about 12 minutes to about 26 minutes and usually contained 2 or 3 drum solos. Although 26 minute performances of the Channel One Suite were not incredibly common, they were not unheard of. A recording of one of his live performances was released in 2006 which contained a 26 minute Channel One Suite.In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Rich's version of Winning the West was from 1973 to 1976 the musical theme of a weekly TV sports magazine broadcast, La domenica sportiva.
TV appearances
In the 1950s, Rich was a frequent guest on The Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
and other television variety shows. Beginning in 1962, Rich was also a frequent guest on Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
, among others, and appeared with his Big Band on British television, on Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
's talk show Parkinson
Parkinson (TV series)
Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:...
and on the Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
Show (the last on October 29, 1986, only a few months prior to his death). Along with singer Buddy Greco
Buddy Greco
-Biography:He was born Armando Greco in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman's band. Most of Greco's work has been in the jazz and pop genres...
and comedian George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
, Rich starred in a 1967 summer replacement television series called Away We Go. One of his most widely seen television performances was in a 1981 episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
, where he engaged Muppet drummer "Animal" (played by Ronnie Verrell
Ronnie Verrell
Ronald 'Ronnie' Thomas Verrell was an English jazz drummer. He played in two of the United Kingdom's "most famous" big bands, The Ted Heath Orchestra and The Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Verrell also worked extensively in television, including as a drummer in Jack Parnell's ATV Orchestra and Sunday...
) in a drum battle. Rich also made guest appearances on the TV shows Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
and Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
.
In an episode of Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
's British talk show, Parkinson kidded Rich about his Donny Osmond kick, by claiming that Rich was the president of The Osmonds
The Osmonds
The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers...
' fan club.
Instruments
Buddy was known as a performer and endorser of Slingerland Radio King, and Rogers DrumsRogers Drums
The Rogers company was started in 1849 by an Irish immigrant from Dublin named Joseph Rogers. Rogers came to the United States and started crafting drum-heads. His son began making drums in the mid-1930s at a Farmingdale, New Jersey location...
. He switched to Ludwig
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
drums for much of the 1970s to the early 1980s. While recovering from a heart attack in 1959, Rich was presented with an original Slingerland Radio King 5X14 wood snare drum completely reconditioned by the Eames
Eames
Eames is a surname which may refer to:People:* Benjamin T. Eames , American politician, U.S. Representative from Rhode Island* Charles and Ray Eames, American design couple** Charles Eames ** Ray Eames...
drum company. Later, a mismatched Radio King set was completely refurbished for Rich and he used that set right up to his death in 1987. His typical setup included a 14"X26" bass drum, 9"X13" mounted tom, two 16"X16" floor toms (although he rarely used the second tom where he would simply place a towel on the surface), and a 5"X14" snare drum. His cymbals were typically Zildjian consisting of standard 14" hi hats, 20" ride, either a 6" or 8" splash, two 18" crashes, and a 20" swish.
Personality
Although Rich was usually helpful and friendly, he had a short temper. While he threatened many times to fire members of his band, he seldom did so, and for the most part he lauded his band members during television and print interviews. Dusty SpringfieldDusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
allegedly slapped Rich after several days of "putting up with Rich's insults and show-biz sabotage."
In the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
song "Sabotage", the lyrics "I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle," referred to Rich's temper. Buddy Rich held a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, as mentioned in a CNN television interview with Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, c. 1985.
Band member and lifelong friend David Lucas
David Lucas (composer)
David Lucas is an American rock and roll composer, singer, and music producer. He has written a number of well-known commercial jingles, such as AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone". In 1981, he received a Clio Award for composing the music to Pepsi's "Catch that Pepsi spirit"...
says that "Rich had a soft heart underneath it all. His favorite song was "It's Not Easy Being Green".
The tapes
Rich's temper, mercurial attitude and imposing personality are documented in secret recordings that pianist Lee Musiker made during some of his tantrums on tour buses and backstage in the early 1980s. These recordings, long circulated in bootlegBootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
form, have done much to fuel the reputation of Rich's personality. The tapes were popular with comedians Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
and Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
, who used three quotes from them more or less verbatim on Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
:
- "If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!" ("The OppositeThe Opposite"The Opposite" is the eighty-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was also the 21st episode of Season 5. It aired on May 19, 1994. This was the first episode shot for Season 5, but it was intended to be the season finale. This is the last episode Tom Cherones directed...
") - "This guy – this is not my kind of guy." ("The Understudy")
- "Then let's see how he does, up there, without all the assistance!" ("The Butter ShaveThe Butter Shave"The Butter Shave" is the 157th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is also the first episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on September 25, 1997.-Plot:...
")
On one recording, Rich threatens to fire Dave Panichi
Dave Panichi
Dave Panichi is an Australian jazz musician, trombonist and composer who began his professional musical career in 1975.In 1981 Panichi moved to New York, where he lived for 18 years...
, a trombonist, for wearing a beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
. Days before Rich died, he was visited by Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
, who claims that one of Rich's last requests was "to hear the tapes" that featured his angry outbursts. At the time, Tormé was working on an authorized biography of Rich which was released after Rich's death, titled Traps, The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich.
Death and legacy
Buddy Rich remained active performing until the end of his life. On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park CemeteryWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Los Angeles. He was 69.
Since Rich's death, a number of memorial concerts have been held. In 1994, the Rich tribute album Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich
Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich
Burning for Buddy, Volume 1 is a 1994 Buddy Rich tribute album produced by Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. The album is composed of performances by various rock and jazz drummers, all accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band...
was released. Produced by Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
drummer/lyricist Neil Peart
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...
, the album features performances of Rich staples by a number of rock and jazz drummers such as Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
, Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
, Dave Weckl
Dave Weckl
Dave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut...
, Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...
, Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
, Steve Smith
Steve Smith (musician)
Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...
, and Peart himself, accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band. A second volume was issued in 1997.
Studio and live albums as leader or co-leader
- 1953: The Flip Phillips Buddy Rich TrioThe Flip Phillips Buddy Rich TrioThe Flip Phillips Buddy Rich Trio is a 1953 Clef Records release of several small jazz combo tracks recorded in 1951 and 1952.-Track listing:LP side A*"Funky Blues" *"Indiana" The Flip Phillips Buddy Rich Trio is a 1953 Clef Records release of several small jazz combo tracks recorded in 1951 and...
(Clef RecordsClef RecordsClef Records was an American Jazz record label founded by Norman Granz in 1946. It was later absorbed into Verve Records....
) - 1954: The Swinging Buddy RichThe Swinging Buddy RichThe Swinging Buddy Rich is a jazz album of songs recorded in Los Angeles in 1953 and 1954 by Buddy Rich with Harry "Sweets" Edison and others. The first 6 tracks were released on a 10 inch Norgran Records LP in 1954...
(Norgran Records) - 1955: Sing and Swing with Buddy RichSing and Swing with Buddy RichSing and Swing with Buddy Rich is a jazz album recorded in New York City in January 1955 by Buddy Rich.-Track listing:#"Everything Happens To Me"#"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams"#"Sure Thing"#"Glad To Be Unhappy"# Ballad Medley##"Over The Rainbow"...
(Norgran) - 1955: Buddy and SweetsBuddy and SweetsBuddy and Sweets is a jazz album recorded in Los Angeles, California in September 1955 by Harry "Sweets" Edison and Buddy Rich.-Track listing:LP side A# "Yellow Rose of Brooklyn" – 4:31...
(Norgran) - 1955: The Lester Young Buddy Rich TrioThe Lester Young Buddy Rich TrioThe Lester Young Buddy Rich Trio is a jazz trio album recorded in Hollywood, California in March - April 1946 by Lester Young, Nat King Cole and Buddy Rich.-Release history:...
(Norgran) - 1955: The Wailing Buddy RichThe Wailing Buddy RichThe Wailing Buddy Rich is a 1955 recording by jazz drummer Buddy Rich on the Norgran Records label. The first two tracks were recorded on May 16th in New York and the remaining tracks were recorded with different personnel in Los Angeles on August 26 of that year.-Personnel:Side A*Thad Jones –...
(Norgran) - 1955: Krupa and RichKrupa and RichKrupa and Rich is a 1956 studio album by jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich on Norman Granz' Clef Records label. Krupa and Rich play on two different tracks each and play together only on "Bernie's Tune." Krupa and Rich would record again for Verve Records, their album Burnin' Beat was...
(Clef) – with Gene KrupaGene KrupaGene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:... - 1955: The Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich TrioThe Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich TrioThe Lionel Hampton Art Tatum Buddy Rich Trio is a 1955 studio album by Lionel Hampton, Art Tatum and Buddy Rich for Norman Granz' Clef Records...
(Clef) - 1956: Buddy Rich Sings Johnny MercerBuddy Rich Sings Johnny MercerBuddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer is a 1956 studio album by Buddy Rich, of the lyrics of Johnny Mercer, arranged by Buddy Bregman. This was the first of three vocal albums that Rich recorded.- Track listing :LP side A# "Goody Goody"...
(Verve RecordsVerve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
) - 1956: This One's for BasieThis One's for BasieThis One's for Basie is a 1957 studio album by Buddy Rich and an eleven piece orchestra, recorded in tribute to bandleader Count Basie. The album was re-issued by Verve in the 1950s and again in the 1960s .-Track listing:LP side A#"Blue and Sentimental" – 4:49#"Down...
(Verve) – re-issued 1967 as Big Band Shout - 1957: Buddy Rich Just SingsBuddy Rich Just SingsBuddy Rich Just Sings is a 1957 studio album by Buddy Rich, one of three vocal albums that Rich recorded. The album has also been re-issued on CD with the contents of The Voice is Rich added as 'bonus' material.- Track listing :...
(Verve) - 1958: Buddy Rich in MiamiBuddy Rich in MiamiBuddy Rich in Miami is a 1958 Verve live album by Buddy Rich featuring Flip Phillips recorded at the Dream Bar of the Johnina Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida in 1957....
(Verve) - 1959: RichcraftRichcraftRichcraft is a 1959 studio big band album by Buddy Rich and a big band / orchestra with arrangements by Ernie Wilkins. A nearly identical album, titled The Rich Rebellion was released by Wing Records without "I Want a Little Girl" but with two additional tracks from an April, 1960 recording...
(Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
) – also The Rich Rebellion (WingWing RecordsWing Records was a record label subsidiary of Mercury Records, founded in 1955, that enjoyed its greatest success during the late 50s. In 1986, the label was revived by Mercury's parent company PolyGram and, just before its final fade, the label enjoyed a brief success with then new R&B singers...
) - 1959: Rich versus RoachRich Versus RoachRich versus Roach is a 1959 studio album by drummers Buddy Rich and Max Roach with their respective bands of the time.-Track listing:LP side A#"Sing, Sing, Sing " – 4:06#"The Casbah" – 4:25...
(Mercury) – with Max RoachMax RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history... - 1959: The Voice is RichThe Voice Is RichThe Voice is Rich is a 1959 Mercury Records recording by Buddy Rich as vocalist, backed by the Hal Mooney Orchestra. The album has also been re-issued on CD together with Buddy Rich Just Sings.-Track listing:LP Side A...
(Mercury) - 1960: The DriverThe Driver (album)The Driver is a 1960 studio album by Buddy Rich.-Track listing:LP side A#"Brainwashed" – 5:00#"A Swinging Serenade" – 4:05#"Big Leg Mary" – 5:45#"Straight, No Chaser" – 4:20...
(EmArcy RecordsEmArcy RecordsEmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by Mercury Records, and today a European jazz label owned by Universal Music Group. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company....
) - 1961: PlaytimePlaytime (album)Playtime is a 1961 studio album by Buddy Rich.-Track listing:LP side A#"Lulu's Back in Town" – 5:53#"Playtime" – 6:14#"Will You Still Be Mine?" – 4:45...
(Argo RecordsArgo RecordsArgo Records was started in December of 1955 to accommodate some of the rapidly growing recording activity at Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Argo.Initially, Argo offered a...
) - 1961: Blues CaravanBlues CaravanBlues Caravan is a 1962 studio album by Buddy Rich and a sextet. Rich later took this sextet on a United States Department of State tour of the Far East and Asia. -Track listing:LP side A#"Blowin' the Blues Away" – 8:40#"B.R...
(Verve) - 1962: Burnin' BeatBurnin' BeatBurnin' Beat is a 1962 studio album by drummers Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa, the sequel to their 1955 album Krupa and Rich. - Track listing :LP side A# "Jumpin' at the Woodside" – 2:20...
(Verve) – with Gene KrupaGene KrupaGene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:... - 1965: Are You Ready for This?Are You Ready for This?Are You Ready for This? is a 1965 studio album by jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, recorded in Japan together with the George Kawaguchi Big Band...
(RoostRoost RecordsRoost Records was a record label established in 1949, primarily to record jazz, taking its secondary name from the New York club with which it was associated...
) – with Louie BellsonLouie BellsonLuigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer... - 1966: Swingin' New Big BandSwingin' New Big BandSwingin' New Big Band is a 1966 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band. -Track listing:LP side A:#"Ready Mix" – 3:22#"Basically Blues" – 5:39#"Critic's Choice" – 3:28...
(Pacific Jazz RecordsPacific Jazz RecordsPacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record label best known for releasing cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded by Richard Bock and drummer Roy Harte in 1952....
/Blue Note RecordsBlue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
) - 1966: The Sounds of '66The Sounds of '66The Sounds of '66 is a 1966 live album by Sammy Davis, Jr., accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band.The album was recorded at the Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.-original LP:Side A:# "Come Back to Me" – 2:56...
(Reprise RecordsReprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
) – Live, with Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities.... - 1967: Big Swing FaceBig Swing Face (Buddy Rich album)Big Swing Face is a 1967 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band - the second album by Rich and his 1960s big band. "The Beat Goes On" features Rich's daughter, Cathy, on vocals.-Track listing:LP side A:...
(Pacific Jazz) – Live - 1967: The New One!The New One!The New One! also released as Take it Away! is a 1968 studio recording by Buddy Rich with his big band / orchestra.- Track listing :LP side A# "Away We Go" – 3:11# "Machine" – 3:38# "The Rotten Kid" – 5:11...
(Pacific Jazz) – aka Take it Away - 1968: Rich à la Rakha (World Pacific) – with Alla Rakha
- 1968: Mercy, MercyMercy, MercyMercy, Mercy is a 1968 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band, recorded at Caesars Palace. - Track listing :LP side A# "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" – 5:34# "Preach and Teach" – 4:06# "Channel One Suite" – 12:50...
(Pacific Jazz) – Live - 1969: Buddy & SoulBuddy & SoulBuddy & Soul is a 1969 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band, recorded at the Whisky a Go Go club in West Hollywood, California. - Track listing :LP side A# "Soul Lady" – 4:55# "St...
(Pacific Jazz) – Live - 1970: Keep the Customer SatisfiedKeep the Customer Satisfied (album)Keep the Customer Satisfied is a 1970 live album by Buddy Rich and his big band, recorded at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. -Track listing:LP side A#"Keep the Customer Satisfied" – 6:40...
(Liberty RecordsLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
) – Live - 1971: A Different DrummerA Different DrummerA Different Drummer is a 1971 big band recording by jazz drummer Buddy Rich for the RCA Records label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 2.5 stars stating -Track listing:Source: Discogs...
(RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) - 1971: Rich in LondonRich in LondonRich in London aka Very Alive at Ronnie Scotts is a live album by Buddy Rich and his big band, recorded in 1971 at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. Not to be confused with the 1980 DRG Buddy Rich Big Band recording, Live at Ronnie Scott's.The US LP release, Rich in London, contains 8 tracks...
(RCA) – expanded UK release = Buddy Rich: Very Alive at Ronnie Scott's (RCA (UK)) – Live - 1972: Stick ItStick It (Buddy Rich album)Stick It is a 1972 studio album by Buddy Rich and his big band. -Track listing:LP side A#"Space Shuttle" – 4:19#"God Bless the Child" – 4:48#"Best Coast" – 3:58...
(RCA)
- 1973: The Roar of '74The Roar of '74The Roar of '74 is a 1973 studio album by the Buddy Rich big band released on the Groove Merchant Records label in the USA. The album was released in the UK in 1974 on the Mooncrest label by B & C Records...
(Groove MerchantGroove MerchantGroove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was ran by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, and Lionel Hampton to name a few...
Records) - 1974: Very Live at Buddy's PlaceVery Live at Buddy's PlaceVery Live at Buddy's Place is a jazz septet album by drummer Buddy Rich recorded in 1974 and released on the Groove Merchant Records label.-Track listing:LP side A#"Chameleon" – 4:52...
(Groove Merchant) – Live - 1974: Transition (Groove Merchant) – with Lionel Hampton
- 1974: The Last Blues Album, Vol. 1 (Groove Merchant)
- 1975: Big Band Machine (Groove Merchant)
- 1976: Speak No Evil (RCA)
- 1977: Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays (RCA)
- 1977: Lionel Hampton Presents Buddy Rich (Who's Who In Jazz) – aka Buddy's Cherokee... also released as The Sound of Jazz, Vol 10
- 1977: Class of '78 (The Great American Gramophone Company) – also released as The Greatest Drummer That Ever Lived with The Best Band I Ever Had
- 1977: Europe '77 (Magic)
- 1978: Together Again: For the First TimeTogether Again: For the First TimeTogether Again: For the First Time is a 1978 studio album by Mel Tormé and Buddy Rich. It was re-issued in 1999 as When I Found You by Hindsight Records with 2 additional Rich Big Band instrumental tracks from the same era....
(Gryphon/Century) – aka When I Found You (with Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
) - 1980: Live at Ronnie Scott'sLive at Ronnie Scott's (Buddy Rich album)Buddy Rich, Live at Ronnie Scott's, also released as The Man From Planet Jazz, is a 1980 jazz big band recording made by the Buddy Rich Big Band at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London...
(DRG) – Live. aka The Man from Planet Jazz - 1981: The Buddy Rich BandThe Buddy Rich BandThe Buddy Rich Band is a 1981 recording made by jazz drummer Buddy Rich for MCA Records.-Track listing:LP side A:#"Never Can Say Goodbye" – 4:48#"Fantasy" – 4:35...
(MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
) - 1983: Rich and FamousRich and Famous (Buddy Rich album)Rich and Famous is a recording made by jazz drummer Buddy Rich released in 1983. Originally released by Amway in the US, it has since been re-issued under different titles by different labels.-Track listing:#"Red Snapper" – 4:34#"Time Will Tell" – 5:07...
(Amway) – aka The Magic of Buddy Rich, aka Buddy Rich – The Man - 1985: Mr. Drums: ...Live on King StreetMr. Drums: Buddy Rich & His Band Live on King StreetMr. Drums: Live on King Street is a 1985 recording made by jazz drummer Buddy Rich and his Big Band. A 3 LP and 2 CD audio album was released by Cafe Records , and a video of the "Channel One" set was released by Pioneer Video and Sony...
(CafeMobile Fidelity Sound LabMobile Fidelity Sound Lab is a company known as an innovator in the production of audiophile-quality sound recordings. All releases are advertised as being produced from the first-generation analog master recordings, and using proprietary technology, which MFSL claims allows for improved sound...
) – "Live" in-studio concert recording. Also released on (2 separate) video discs
Posthumous releases of previously unreleased recordings
- 2001: Wham! The Buddy Rich Big Band Live (Label M)
- 2004: No Funny Hats (Lightyear)
Notable compilation albums
- 1960: The Drum Battle (Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich at JATPJazz at the PhilharmonicJazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP, was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz....
) (Verve) - 196?: The Best of Buddy Rich (Pacific Jazz)
- 1969: Super Rich (Verve)
- 1971: Time Being (Bluebird/RCA)
- 1987: Compact Jazz: Buddy Rich (Verve)
- 1990: Compact Jazz: Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich (Verve)
- 1992: No Jive (Novus)
- 1998: Buddy Rich: The Legendary '47–'48 Orchestra Vol. 1 (Hep Records)
- 1998: Buddy Rich: The Legendary '46–'48 Orchestra Vol. 2 (Hep)
- 2005: Classic EmArcy, Verve, Small Group Buddy Rich Sessions (Mosaic RecordsMosaic RecordsMosaic Records is an American specialist jazz record label, founded in 1983 by Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie to issue coherent limited edition box sets of jazz recordings by individual musicians, which had fallen out-of-print...
#232) – 7 CD Box set
External links
- Official website
- Buddy Rich on Drummerworld
- Buddy Rich at WikiquoteWikiquoteWikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. Based on an idea by Daniel Alston and implemented by Brion Vibber, the goal of the project is to produce collaboratively a vast reference of quotations from prominent people, books,...
(Discography and brief biography) - Buddy Rich videos, pictures, quotes, and set-up at TotalDrumsets.com