Buddy in his prime. Hardest working musician. Imagine how many thousands of performances he gave in his life. Each one an amazing crowd pleaser and a physical marathon. Did it up to age 68, months before he died. One of a kind. The best.
You,r comment here is of the highest accuracy. He did what No, other Drummer or band leader ever could do. Ya , all the gigs , the prior experience w/ all the Bands earlier.It's just an incredible feat. The finesse of a concert pianist on the kit plus the power of a herd of Horses. I've, often said and thought this. The, Body of work & effort He encompassed is overwhelming ,yet He did it w/ personal ease. Masterful mind.
If there is such a thing as the best, Don Menza was the best first tenor Buddy ever had, and he had great first tenors Corre, LaBarbera and Marcus for example. I think this is the "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy Band from the Caesar's Palace album. Again, of all the great bands Buddy had... my personal favorite!
It's close to the Mercy Mercy band, but three lead players in the horn section are the ones from the Buddy & Soul band. Porcino, Trimble, and Pepper had already left. I'm with you on the Menza thing!
My favorite tenor soloists with Buddy, in order: Corre, LaBarbera, Marcus, and Menza dead last. Never cared for Menza's playing. He's a fabulous composer/arranger, however.
That drum fill at 6.15 is absolutely mindblowing , the way he ends it with the bass drum is godlike ....also the single stroke roll at 6.46 well nobody will ever be able to contemplate doing that .....period .
Great post! Brings back memories from when I used to see him back in the 70s & 80s. Menza used to have a big band out here in Las Vegas at the Riviera. Then one day a few years back I went to see him there and the casino had tore out the whole stage and put up slot machines! Anyway, he always played great even in later years. You might get a kick out of my tributes to Buddy on here. No, I don't think I play like Buddy. I'm just happy if some of his influence rubbed off on me. Thanks again.
Mindblowing technique , god given hand and foot independance , ideas and taste that come from a brain like no other , fantastic speed and panache, and power beyond all reason ...2 words .....Buddy Rich .
So much was made of his mindblowing left hand , but after seeing him 150 times and getting close to him ...his right hand blew my mind and his feet were just as good as both hands . I knew when i first seen him in 1968 when i was 10 years old , i knew then i was seeing something from another world ...the likes of we would never see again . Try and imagine for 1 second what he felt like , knowing that no matter how long music was around , thousands millions or billions of years that nobody would ever play drums like that ever again .
Hi Patrick , where and when was this recorded ...i have so much of him but not this . It blew my mind when i seen this , can you tell me the above please . Regards John
Does it bother anyone that he was so hard on himself about that bit with the Queen, when she asked him where he gets the energy from, and he says, "Just lucky, I guess." What else could anyone have said? This came up so many times with Carson, as if it were the worst one-liner ever, but what could he have said? "I eats me spinach?"
fire the cameraman. missed the key points with too many angles. stay in one place, esp at the climax. this was the Mercy Mercy band, although I think Pacino was replaced by Marquez.
Patrick excellent taste in music. Please Please Please keep the Buddy Rich coming???? Let it be know that the Buddy Rich Band still emulates excitement in Music. Please send more Buddy Rich. thanks Patrick
I always wondered why Buddy didn't have more people of color in his big bands. Buddy played with plenty of great black musicians in small groups -Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Harry "Sweets" Edison come to mind. Any insights from other readers here?
Buddy in his prime. Hardest working musician. Imagine how many thousands of performances he gave in his life. Each one an amazing crowd pleaser and a physical marathon. Did it up to age 68, months before he died. One of a kind. The best.
He was actually 69 1/2 when he died....He died in April 1987....He would have been 70 in Sept of that year.
You,r comment here is of the highest accuracy. He did what No, other Drummer or band leader ever could do. Ya , all the gigs , the prior experience w/ all the Bands earlier.It's just an incredible feat. The finesse of a concert pianist on the kit plus the power of a herd of Horses. I've, often said and thought this. The, Body of work & effort He encompassed is overwhelming ,yet He did it w/ personal ease. Masterful mind.
He's been in his prime his entire life.
Don sounds amazing here! Such a ballsy sound & time feel
What a great player...and writer
Menza is just killer here. Entire band sounds great and on fire. And Buddy....crap, what can you say? A giant who will never be seen again.
Jay Corre was excellent also
As good as it gets, and will likely ever get. RIP Buddy.
25 Sep 1968 - Aldeburgh Festival Hall - Snape, England - BBC 2 taping of "Jazz At The Maltings"
If there is such a thing as the best, Don Menza was the best first tenor Buddy ever had, and he had great first tenors Corre, LaBarbera and Marcus for example. I think this is the "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy Band from the Caesar's Palace album. Again, of all the great bands Buddy had... my personal favorite!
It's close to the Mercy Mercy band, but three lead players in the horn section are the ones from the Buddy & Soul band. Porcino, Trimble, and Pepper had already left. I'm with you on the Menza thing!
My favorite tenor soloists with Buddy, in order: Corre, LaBarbera, Marcus, and Menza dead last. Never cared for Menza's playing. He's a fabulous composer/arranger, however.
All the tenor players mentioned were great in their own way...not a weak one in the bunch. However, I liked what Menza brought to the band as well.
Also Sal Nistico albeit very briefly
Played with the big band at Wolf Trap in 74, after the small group at Buddys Place
@@DavePlaysTrombone Rick Diaz on Somewhere produces a tone that is superb
Thanks for posting! Saw this band, and subsequent line-ups from '66 on. This is the one that is lodged in my memory.
No one...NO ONE...can drive a band like Buddy!
This is just tremendous, one of his best bands and Buddy right at his peak. What a sensational and exciting player he was.
That drum fill at 6.15 is absolutely mindblowing , the way he ends it with the bass drum is godlike ....also the single stroke roll at 6.46 well nobody will ever be able to contemplate doing that .....period .
Sick indeed!
No one ever made Slingerlands sound as good.
Nor any other brand he played , as well, for that matter 😊
Agree. Pity what became of Slingerland.
Great post! Brings back memories from when I used to see him back in the 70s & 80s. Menza used to have a big band out here in Las Vegas at the Riviera. Then one day a few years back I went to see him there and the casino had tore out the whole stage and put up slot machines! Anyway, he always played great even in later years. You might get a kick out of my tributes to Buddy on here. No, I don't think I play like Buddy. I'm just happy if some of his influence rubbed off on me. Thanks again.
Mindblowing technique , god given hand and foot independance , ideas and taste that come from a brain like no other , fantastic speed and panache, and power beyond all reason ...2 words .....Buddy Rich .
So much was made of his mindblowing left hand , but after seeing him 150 times and getting close to him ...his right hand blew my mind and his feet were just as good as both hands .
I knew when i first seen him in 1968 when i was 10 years old , i knew then i was seeing something from another world ...the likes of we would never see again .
Try and imagine for 1 second what he felt like , knowing that no matter how long music was around , thousands millions or billions of years that nobody would ever play drums like that ever again .
Yes, he did know that. Yet throughout his life he never bragged on himself; he didn't have to.
you are right on, it was unearthly, and absolutely unbelievable, as a half assed drummer, I know wherove I speak.
Really enjoyed this. so now we have Don Menza, who shined so brightly on channel one, doing the same on West Side.
Don Menza great solo and that drummer wow
Lol!! Cuts off right before the last note.
Sheesh! Solois interuptus.
I would think that drumming at this near supernatural level would almost be demoralizing to professional drummers.
camera man needs another job.
1966-1971. My favorite Buddy Rich era.
Rich + Webb...the two masters/monsters of big band drumming in the history of the art form.
Hi Patrick , where and when was this recorded ...i have so much of him but not this .
It blew my mind when i seen this , can you tell me the above please .
Regards
John
Does it bother anyone that he was so hard on himself about that bit with the Queen, when she asked him where he gets the energy from, and he says, "Just lucky, I guess." What else could anyone have said? This came up so many times with Carson, as if it were the worst one-liner ever, but what could he have said? "I eats me spinach?"
fire the cameraman. missed the key points with too many angles. stay in one place, esp at the climax. this was the Mercy Mercy band, although I think Pacino was replaced by Marquez.
Patrick excellent taste in music. Please Please Please keep the Buddy Rich coming???? Let it be know that the Buddy Rich Band still emulates excitement in Music. Please send more Buddy Rich. thanks Patrick
Vince Diaz brought me to tears
A magnificent trombone tone
one of the few times he had a coloured guy in the band, big or small
I always wondered why Buddy didn't have more people of color in his big bands. Buddy played with plenty of great black musicians in small groups -Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Harry "Sweets" Edison come to mind. Any insights from other readers here?
Charles Owens
Amazes me every time. Too bad this clip got cut just a little bit short.
Too bad the ending was cut off.