Notes from an OLD drummer
#26 of 100 - Drummers I’ve seen and heard in my lifetime.
#26 Buddy Rich
I saw Buddy Rich several times. Each performance was a different experience. Before I got my first drumset in 1966, I was a fan of Gene Krupa and swing music. Buddy came later.
I would always stay up late to watch Buddy on the Johnny Carson television show. This would inspire my interest to acquire a drumset and become a professional drummer. I recognized his unachievable gifted talent.
My music teacher, Tommy Thomas 1901-1995 was a friend of Buddy Rich. He taught Buddy how to play crossovers on the drumset. Tommy was first generation, one of the early inventors of the drumset. Buddy respected Tommy and his contribution. They were both early endorsers for the William F Ludwig drum company in Chicago.
The first time I saw and heard Buddy, was 1973. There was a venue in Winter Park, Florida called Montes. I’ve heard stories about various big bands at Montes.
I attended my first Montes concert with a couple musician friends. The place was packed. At the time, I was living in Geneva, Florida, working in the Saint Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa area. Walt Disney World had recently opened and many professional musicians were moving to Orlando. I had not connected to that network at the time. I was just a lounge lizard rock and roller. Those guys could read and play jazz and show music.
What I heard that night from Buddy and his big band was amazing. I had played in an R&B group with 5 horns, hearing his big band was a gigantic wall of sound.
Montes was not a classic performance venue, it was a restaurant and supper club. It probably had room for 100+ packed guest at tables. There were 2 shows.
The room had a low ceiling. The sound of Buddy’s band had everyone in attendance shaking their heads in amazement to what they were experiencing.
During Buddy’s lifetime, he played and endorsed different drumsets made by Rogers, Ludwig and Slingerland. This was his Slingerland period. Watching hundreds of Youtube videos, he always seems very comfortable with his Slingerland set. My favorite performance from Buddy is West Side Story.
Since Youtube, and the access to watch historical performances, you can see different versions of this chart.
The second time I saw Buddy was also at Montes. I’m unclear about the year, maybe 1974. I remember seeing his Ferrari parked at the entrance. Buddy worked a lot in Florida, especially in South Florida during the 60s and 70s.
Many were expecting the big band. It was a Quartet with Hammond B3, guitar and saxophone. This may have been one of his periods where he fired his big band and recruited a small group. I’ve had conversations about who the players were in this ensemble. The names of the musicians vary from friend to friend.
Buddy played several times in Orlando during the 80s. I missed seeing him at Walt Disney World in 1985, but I heard him for the final time in downtown Orlando. The venue was called Great Southern Music Hall. This was his big band.
Buddy was in his typical form. Pertaining to the atmosphere of the audience and venue, he made a couple remarks about the lack of lighting and air conditioning.
For this concert, he was not endorsed or playing a company drumset. He was playing a rejuvenated vintage Radio King kit.
Buddy Rich was the greatest Buddy Rich ever. When I think I’ve seen it all, I see him play something new. He was one of a kind. Considering the time and era he started playing, his style into music of the 60s, rock and jazz rock was great. I loved his interpretations of semi-straight eighth note tunes like Birdland and Mercy Mercy.
His life as a drummer and musician is well documented in the Mel Torme authored book, Traps, the Drum Wonder: The Life and Times of Buddy Rich.
( *** I think this may be my first discovery of this video recording version. There are many of the West Side Story arrangements with different bands. This version is minus the “Maria” section, with the trombone solo. Through the years Buddy always played a Rogers Swivomatic foot pedal. You can see several side shots of his foot and heel up or down technique. It looks like a wooden beater. The snare drum he’s playing would eventually become a Fibes snare drum. There are many stories of Bud Slingerland and Buddy’s choice to not play the Buddy Rich snare drum. This video has several cameras. His climactic ending of this solo is probably the most explosive I’ve seen him perform. Buddy was known to sweat, as did my friend Elvin Jones. You’ll see balls dropping from Buddy’s nose at the finale of his solo. This band probably had a few players in the first band I saw, maybe not. I won’t say anything about the famous bus tape recording. BaDaBoom