Buddy Rich
As Justin would say - MORE DRUMS!!!
[NOTE: The fourth post in the Musical Theory series of posts is below.]
Name: Bernard "Buddy" Rich
Born: September 30, 1917
Died: April 2, 1987
Instrument: Drums
[NOTE: The fourth post in the Musical Theory series of posts is below.]
Name: Bernard "Buddy" Rich
Born: September 30, 1917
Died: April 2, 1987
Instrument: Drums
A man walks up to the gates of heaven and stops suddenly to listen. Yes. He recognizes that sound. The man turns to St. Peter excitedly and asks:
"Is that really Buddy Rich?"
St. Peter shakes his head and replies:
"No, that's God. He just thinks he's Buddy Rich."
"Is that really Buddy Rich?"
St. Peter shakes his head and replies:
"No, that's God. He just thinks he's Buddy Rich."
Young Buddy:
Buddy Rich was a naturally gifted drummer. His first gig was at the age of 18 months as "Trap the Drum Wonder" in a Vaudville show. At eleven years old, he was already the head of his own band. He had absolutely no formal training. He entered the world of Jazz at the age of 20, and went on to play with Joe Marsala, Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Carter, Harry James, Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, before many of the "Jazz Greats" including Bird, Miles, Diz (Dizzy Gillespie), and his own Jazz orchestra. Buddy Rich lived, and breathed, drums.
Legendary Player:
What is so special about Buddy Rich's playing anyways? I mean, a drummer is a drummer so long as they keep the beat and don't play too loudly, right? Wrong. When you listen to the two files that I have linked below (especially Birdland), hear how he cues the band using his fills and shots. The drummer can be the maker or the breaker of a band. From the drum chair you can cue the musicians, you can drive them, you can slow them down, you can make them groove or swing or do whatever you want. A powerful drummer is always the one in control in a band.
Buddy Rich may have been seen as slightly power-crazy during his time with his big band after 1966, but he was just a perfectionist. His cues were as clear as day to anyone used to listening to a drummer for cues... and if you were playing with the Buddy Rich band, you'd better be. His technical proficiency was astounding for a man that had never taken a lesson in his life. In fact, he even went so far as to denounce the whole idea of "practice makes perfect". To him, practice was useless. "If you can't do it in an hour, you can't do it in four days." His method of improving was to play with a band, to play in front of an audience. Why shouldn't it be? The man played in front of audiences from 18 months.
When you listen to Birdland below, listen to the drums. This may be hard for some of you, as the drums are not always the first thing a person hears when they listen to music. Think of this as if you were playing in the band. How can you tell where the band is going to come in and play? How can you tell where the horn shots are going to be? Each time Buddy plays a fill or a riff or a shot, it's not to show off or to display his talents or because he can. Every single note that Buddy plays is placed where it is placed for a reason. To contribute to the piece as a whole, and also to help the band do what he wanted. The drums are a musical instrument like any other, and Buddy treated them as such.
Legendary Temper:
Just as well known as Buddy's playing were his temper tantrum he used to throw between sets. The man demanded perfection, and if he didn't get it he got hopping-mad. Once, he fired a bass player right off the stage during a performance. He had fired his usual bass player the night before, and the sub quite obviously didn't have a clue what he was doing. Buddy Rich came to the front of the stage where the audience yelled requests at him. Buddy stepped up to the mike and said, "We're not going to play Channel 1 or West Side Story or any of that shit. We're going to take 15 minutes and figure out why." The band left the stage, and a few tense minutes later roadies could be seen wheeling the bass amp off. The guitar player covered the bass part for the rest of the gig.
Buddy has even been known to leave players at the side of the road after kicking them off the tourbus. One thing was definitely for certain when you played with Buddy, you played your very best or you got fired. Instantly.
Buddy didn't enjoy his temper tantrums at his band, it wasn't a power trip. On the contrary. Buddy was such a perfectionist, he found it painful to even listen to his own recordings. His own words on recording:
"I've never enjoyed any of them that I've ever made - with my own band. I've had great fun and great thrills working with people like Lester Young and Bird, and you can go on and on and on with names. I had great times recording with Basie, and I had great times recording with the All-Star people. But for my own band I've never really done anything where I can say: "That is the best thing that this band's ever done, or the best thing that I've ever done."
First of all, I can't stand the way I sound on records, and I've said that all my life. I play things that I think are right at the time - then when I hear it, I say: "Why did I do that?" So to look back and say: "This is the best record" - there is no record I've made with my band that I feel I want to talk about. Especially the last album we did in the States - it's the worst thing that you could possibly listen to. I mean, it should be banned; it should be illegal. The recording is terrible, the band was terrible, the playing was bad; there were mistakes that the engineering let pass. I was away at the time the thing was released, or it never would have been released. What I have done, in the past eight months that the album's been out, is that every night at every concert I tell the audience that our new album is not to be believed, it's terrible, and please don't buy it. I'm saving myself the embarrassment of having people listen to it, and I'm also saving them the money that they would pay for a record that is not worth the price."
RIP Buddy:
Not to end on the wrong impression here, Buddy Rich could be a really sweet guy as well. If you were a young fan lucky enough to get a chance to ask Buddy for an autograph, he would never say no. In fact, he would go out of his way to make you feel special. Once, a former owner of a music store in Toronto got a phone-call that Buddy had broke one of his crash cymbals and needed a replacement. Of course the man took a new cymbal to his concert that night, but also a friend who worshipped Buddy. The music store owner asked Buddy for his old, broken cymbal and Buddy inquired why anyone would want a broken cymbal. The music store owner explained that his friend, who had box seats with him for the concert, was a big collector of Buddy paraphenalia. Buddy signed the cymbal to his friend, dated it, and then remarked, "Make sure you give him a good deal on it. It's broken." When the concert started, Buddy saluted the box where the store owner and his friend were sitting. Ever see a grown man cry?
Buddy Rich changed the face of drumming. This is said about a lot of players and their respective instruments, but with Buddy it is actually the truth. You talk to a drummer worth his salt and he worships the ground Buddy walked on. Buddy Rich is in all honesty, a legend.
"And you have to really love them, nurture them, and take care of them, for all the joy and the happiness that they've given throughout the years. I don't look at anybody's talents as ever diminishing. Once it's great, it's great, and that's that. Timeless? Exactly."
Here are a couple of recordings, the second of which Buddy probably would have hated. But I can't very well tell you to go and see him play live, now can I?
Buddy Rich was a naturally gifted drummer. His first gig was at the age of 18 months as "Trap the Drum Wonder" in a Vaudville show. At eleven years old, he was already the head of his own band. He had absolutely no formal training. He entered the world of Jazz at the age of 20, and went on to play with Joe Marsala, Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Carter, Harry James, Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, before many of the "Jazz Greats" including Bird, Miles, Diz (Dizzy Gillespie), and his own Jazz orchestra. Buddy Rich lived, and breathed, drums.
Legendary Player:
What is so special about Buddy Rich's playing anyways? I mean, a drummer is a drummer so long as they keep the beat and don't play too loudly, right? Wrong. When you listen to the two files that I have linked below (especially Birdland), hear how he cues the band using his fills and shots. The drummer can be the maker or the breaker of a band. From the drum chair you can cue the musicians, you can drive them, you can slow them down, you can make them groove or swing or do whatever you want. A powerful drummer is always the one in control in a band.
Buddy Rich may have been seen as slightly power-crazy during his time with his big band after 1966, but he was just a perfectionist. His cues were as clear as day to anyone used to listening to a drummer for cues... and if you were playing with the Buddy Rich band, you'd better be. His technical proficiency was astounding for a man that had never taken a lesson in his life. In fact, he even went so far as to denounce the whole idea of "practice makes perfect". To him, practice was useless. "If you can't do it in an hour, you can't do it in four days." His method of improving was to play with a band, to play in front of an audience. Why shouldn't it be? The man played in front of audiences from 18 months.
When you listen to Birdland below, listen to the drums. This may be hard for some of you, as the drums are not always the first thing a person hears when they listen to music. Think of this as if you were playing in the band. How can you tell where the band is going to come in and play? How can you tell where the horn shots are going to be? Each time Buddy plays a fill or a riff or a shot, it's not to show off or to display his talents or because he can. Every single note that Buddy plays is placed where it is placed for a reason. To contribute to the piece as a whole, and also to help the band do what he wanted. The drums are a musical instrument like any other, and Buddy treated them as such.
Legendary Temper:
Just as well known as Buddy's playing were his temper tantrum he used to throw between sets. The man demanded perfection, and if he didn't get it he got hopping-mad. Once, he fired a bass player right off the stage during a performance. He had fired his usual bass player the night before, and the sub quite obviously didn't have a clue what he was doing. Buddy Rich came to the front of the stage where the audience yelled requests at him. Buddy stepped up to the mike and said, "We're not going to play Channel 1 or West Side Story or any of that shit. We're going to take 15 minutes and figure out why." The band left the stage, and a few tense minutes later roadies could be seen wheeling the bass amp off. The guitar player covered the bass part for the rest of the gig.
What the fuck do you think is goin' on here? You had too many fuckin' days off and you think this is a fuckin' game!?
You think I'm the only one that's gonna work up there while you motherfuckers sit out there and clam all over this fuckin' joint!? What do you think this is anyhow? What kind of playing do you think this is? What kinda miscues do you call this? What fuckin' band do you think you're playin' on, motherfuckers? You wanna fuck with me on the bandstand?...Shut that fuckin' door! I'm up there working my balls off, trying to do somebody a favor, and you motherfuckers are suckin' all over this joint. What kind of trumpet section do you call this tonight? And saxophones...you gotta fuckin' be kidding me! How dare you call yourselves professionals. Assholes! You're playin' like fucking children up there. You got your fuc...(distracted momentarily) where the fuck are you? Where is Peneke? (turns to the Trombonist) You've got your fuckin' horn so far deep in the fuckin' bell, we don't need to have a band here tonight. You afraid you won't be heard? Everybody can hear your fuckin' clams out there. You don't need a mike for that. You're takin' up too much fuckin' time blowin' what? Shit!! You stand out here all night tryin' to blow your fuckin' brains out; when it comes time to play, what do you play? Clams!! You got nowhere to fuckin' go tonight the next set because if I hear one fuckin' clam from anybody, you've had it! One clam and this whole fuckin' band is through...tonight!! Try me! You got some fuckin' nerve. Nights off, nothin' to do, and you come in and play this kind of shit for me...Fuck all of you!!
Buddy has even been known to leave players at the side of the road after kicking them off the tourbus. One thing was definitely for certain when you played with Buddy, you played your very best or you got fired. Instantly.
Buddy didn't enjoy his temper tantrums at his band, it wasn't a power trip. On the contrary. Buddy was such a perfectionist, he found it painful to even listen to his own recordings. His own words on recording:
"I've never enjoyed any of them that I've ever made - with my own band. I've had great fun and great thrills working with people like Lester Young and Bird, and you can go on and on and on with names. I had great times recording with Basie, and I had great times recording with the All-Star people. But for my own band I've never really done anything where I can say: "That is the best thing that this band's ever done, or the best thing that I've ever done."
First of all, I can't stand the way I sound on records, and I've said that all my life. I play things that I think are right at the time - then when I hear it, I say: "Why did I do that?" So to look back and say: "This is the best record" - there is no record I've made with my band that I feel I want to talk about. Especially the last album we did in the States - it's the worst thing that you could possibly listen to. I mean, it should be banned; it should be illegal. The recording is terrible, the band was terrible, the playing was bad; there were mistakes that the engineering let pass. I was away at the time the thing was released, or it never would have been released. What I have done, in the past eight months that the album's been out, is that every night at every concert I tell the audience that our new album is not to be believed, it's terrible, and please don't buy it. I'm saving myself the embarrassment of having people listen to it, and I'm also saving them the money that they would pay for a record that is not worth the price."
RIP Buddy:
Not to end on the wrong impression here, Buddy Rich could be a really sweet guy as well. If you were a young fan lucky enough to get a chance to ask Buddy for an autograph, he would never say no. In fact, he would go out of his way to make you feel special. Once, a former owner of a music store in Toronto got a phone-call that Buddy had broke one of his crash cymbals and needed a replacement. Of course the man took a new cymbal to his concert that night, but also a friend who worshipped Buddy. The music store owner asked Buddy for his old, broken cymbal and Buddy inquired why anyone would want a broken cymbal. The music store owner explained that his friend, who had box seats with him for the concert, was a big collector of Buddy paraphenalia. Buddy signed the cymbal to his friend, dated it, and then remarked, "Make sure you give him a good deal on it. It's broken." When the concert started, Buddy saluted the box where the store owner and his friend were sitting. Ever see a grown man cry?
Buddy Rich changed the face of drumming. This is said about a lot of players and their respective instruments, but with Buddy it is actually the truth. You talk to a drummer worth his salt and he worships the ground Buddy walked on. Buddy Rich is in all honesty, a legend.
"And you have to really love them, nurture them, and take care of them, for all the joy and the happiness that they've given throughout the years. I don't look at anybody's talents as ever diminishing. Once it's great, it's great, and that's that. Timeless? Exactly."
Here are a couple of recordings, the second of which Buddy probably would have hated. But I can't very well tell you to go and see him play live, now can I?posted by Rose at
12:02 AM
4 Comments:
Drummers...drummers...what is it about them?
By
E.L. Wisty, at Fri Jan 13, 04:00:00 PM MST
Buddy Rich was AMAZING! But Wow,
what an asshole! :/
I didn't know that about him. Another
case of one needing to separate the artist from the art. I definitely have enjoyed his music in my past. :)
Great post, Jack!
By
Nabonidus, at Fri Jan 13, 10:09:00 PM MST
That's so true of the greats isn't it? Zappa was like that too. The artist with the 'vision' is different from the musician who is just playing notes.
Great article!
By
Ticharu, at Tue Jan 17, 01:48:00 PM MST
I saw Buddy Rich and his band about 9 months before he died. He came to a place called the After Four Club in Cedar Lake Indiana. A nowhere place. I was amazed he came there of all places.
The show was amazing. He played about 75 minutes total. This included his pal Barrett Deems sitting in on drums for a couple songs. Barrett was over 80 at the time and damn near showed Buddy up.
Barrett was a dirty old man. It cracked me up. Every time a good lookin' young lady walked by him, he'd pull out his duck call and start quacking.
At the end of the show, when Buddy was saying thanks, someone in the audience yelled out, "Why don't you play for two hours!"
Buddy shot back, "You go get your own goddamn band and play for two fucking hours!" then walked off the stage not to return.
A noteable recording is "Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1949" with Buddy on drums along with Charlie Parker & Dizzy. Buddy's drumming is so forceful. He had the strongest right foot of any drummer before or ever since with the near exception of John Bonham from Zeppelin. The dude was brutally tight.
Jeff
By
Anonymous, at Mon Mar 20, 12:29:00 PM MST
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