Considered one of the best jazz drummers of all time, Buddy Rich (1917-1987) was born into a family of vaudeville entertainers. His talent for rhythm was first noted by his father, who saw that Buddy could keep a steady beat with spoons at age one! He began playing drums in vaudeville when he was 18-months old, billed as "Traps the Drum Wonder". By the time he was 11, Rich was already performing as a bandleader. He received no formal drum instruction, claiming later that instruction would have only degraded his musical talent. He also never admitted to practicing, saying that he only played the drums during performances. As he stated: "Every night that you play is another practice session. For somebody to sit in a room for eight hours, it's got to be the most tedious, the most boring thing -and don't think you develop. It's one thing to sit by yourself and bang; it's another thing to get on that bandstand with sixteen musicians- now you have to assert who you are, what you are, and be able to play. Playing every night -that's your learning, right there." During his extended career, he played with Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Carter, Harry James, Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, and toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, as well as leading his own band and performing with various all-star groups.
The splendid concerts presented on this DVD come from the last two decades of his life and show him in front of his famous big band. Besides displaying his enormous talent on the drums, Buddy (who was also a singer) shows his talents as an announcer here, introducing each song in a humorously histrionic style.
TOTAL TIME: 80 min. approx. COLOR (1986)/B & W (1973). MONO
1-8: Paul Phillips, Eric Miyashiro, Michael Lewis, Joe Kaminsky (tp, flhrn), Scott Bliege, James Martin, Michael Davis (tb), Mark Pinto, Bob Bowlby (as, fl), Brian Sjoerdinga (ts, fl), Steve Marcus (ts, sop), Jay Craig (bar), Bill Cunliffe (p, arr), Dave Carpenter (el-b), Buddy Rich (d). Denmark, July 1986.
9-15: Greg Hopkins, Charlie Davis, John Hoffman, Larry Hall (tp), Alan Kaplan, Keith O'Quinn (tb), John Leys (b-tb), Joe Romano, Bob Martin (as, fl), Pat LaBarbera (ts, sop, fl), Bob Crea (ts), John Laws (bar), Buddy Budson (p), Jimmy Bruno (g), Ronald Paley (b), Buddy Rich (d). London, England, November 1973.
Tracklisting:
1. Time Check 3:11 (Don Menza)
2. Basically Blues 6:38 (Phil Wilson)
3. Love for Sale 4:30 (Cole Porter)
4. 'Round Midnight 5:46 (Thelonious Monk)
5. Winding Way 3:50 (Matt Harris)
6. In a Mellow Tone 7:43 (Duke Ellington)
7. Groovin' Hard 5:27 (Don Menza)
8. Bugle Call Rag 3:31 (Meyers-Pettis-Schoebel)
9.Time Check 1:54 (Don Menza)
10. Buddy's Richness 3:58 (Buddy Rich)
11. Senator Sam 7:42 (Ernie Wilkins)
12. Something 4:38 (George Harrison)
13. Prelude to a Kiss 5:13 (Duke Ellington)
14. Here's That Rainy Day 7:02 (Burke-Van Heusen)
15. Backwoods Sideman 8:13 (Pat LaBarbera)
Released 2008.