 |
|
 |
Buddy and the big band were playing at a high school in McLean, Virginia in the late 1960s. In the middle of a number, Buddy popped the tip off a stick. The broken tip flew at least 15 feet into air to the left. Buddy discarded the rest of the broken stick, throwing it in the air to the right. Before either the tip or the stick hit the stage, he had another stick in his hand--I didn't even see where it came from. As soon as the broken stick rolled to a stop, a young boy slithered up on the stage, slid across on his stomach and picked it up. A security guard stepped in from the wings and made the lad give him the stick. Buddy took all this in while never missing a beat. When the number was over, he stepped down from the drum set, retrieved the stick from the guard, walked over to the edge of the stage and gave it back to the boy. "Don't let the man intimidate you, kid," he said. As the audience cheered, Buddy went back to the drums and counted off the next number. ~Jim Kent
I have a good one that all working drummers can identify with. This was in the 60's sometime and my dad brought me to see Buddy at this club in mid town Manhattan.Well, it happened to be an election night. We get to the club and sit down and as I look around I see only maybe about 10 people in the audience. I said, uh oh, he is gonna not be in a good mood maybe. Well, Buddy came out and saw the audience and I don't think he was totally shocked, being it was an election night. Well, he went on to play the shows, played brilliantly of course and we kind of had a private show. It was great. ~Jack Turchin
At the tender age of 10 years old, I decided that music was going to be my life! By that age I was already playing guitar, piano and drums. At that point there was just something about the drums that really excited me!
I became almost obsessed with staying up to watch "The
Tonight Show" whenever I heard that Buddy Rich was going
to be on! As we all know the great friendship that Johnny
Carson had with your dad, it was quite frequent! A joy
for all of us BR fanatics! Could someone actually play
the drums like that?! The speed, the musicality, the snare
work! Was it possible?! Then there were the hysterical
conversations! This man was amazing! I wanted to play
like that!, I wanted to be him! I HAD to see him LIVE!
Sometime later, I got my chance! I had just broken up
with my girlfriend, and was devoting myself to putting
together my first professional band! Playing drums, of
course. I spent the whole earlier part of one day back
in the very early 80s in a rehearsal studio in Greenwich
Village, doing the "cattle call" thing, seeing one guitarist,
bassist, keyboardist after another! I was exhausted! My
manager (at the time) and I decided to unwind in the Village.
While walking around we passed "The Bottom Line" nightclub
and discovered that Buddy was scheduled to play there
that night! That was just what I needed! We, quick bought
our tickets and relaxed across the street waiting for
showtime!
The tour bus pulled up, and one by one the members of Buddy's band stepped off! Then... There HE was! Buddy Rich! My hero! I ran across the street just in time to shake his hand as he was walking in the side entrance! Moments later it was time for all of us to enter! We took our seats, ordered a few beers and looked around... It was a "who's who" of famous musicians and celebrities alike!!! From every conceivable style of music, from Punk rockers, to Heavy Metal, to Jazz! Even, Mason Reese! The redheaded kid from the "Smorgasbord" Deviled Ham commercials of the 70s! A great drummer in his own right!
We were all there to revel in the glory of Buddy Rich! Then the man took the stage! This is where words become difficult! How does one describe watching a genius doing what he was born to do?! I sat in awe as Buddy did things on his Ludwig drum set that none of could imagine doing! The BR shield pulsing in time with Buddy's right foot! The sticks were a blur as the man himself flashed his signature smile! I was in heaven!
At the end of the show, we were all drained! But fulfilled! I traveled back home to Brooklyn that night, knowing that music was going to be my life! To date I have released 5 solo CDs! Writing ALL of the material, playing ALL of the instruments, mixing and producing ALL of the CDs! I can say that I have two main influences that have absolutely made me the musician/composer/producer I am today! Les Paul and Buddy Rich! All others pale in comparison! To me Buddy is the drums, and the drums are Buddy! ~Jimmy Stephens
I met you a number of times in my late teens and early 20's (when you were about 11 or 12). I have a picture of you sitting on your dad's lap at the drums along with myself taken at Disneyland in 1964. Your father treated me so well during his engagement there that summer. I brought in my snare drum (which had been signed by Joe Morello and Louis Bellson) and a number of my old classic Buddy Rich albums on Verve (and Richcraft on Mercury)...he signed them all and allowed me into his dressing room to chat.
Maybe it helped that Louis Bellson was my mentor during those years and Buddy may have known about me through him. He never mentioned that, but he treated me very well. We discussed Joe Morello's left hand finger technique, which Buddy felt would be a lost cause in driving a big band. However, you know your father...after our discussion during the break (he was still with Harry James at that time)...he began his solo on Caravan with a long cadenza which he played with ONLY his left hand and bass drum foot....of course, his control, finesse, and touch was impeccable and I even detected the use of the so-called "finger technique)...he gave me his wonderful "evil eye" smiling as he played and I went home on cloud nine!
I was only 19 at the time and I had the privilege of seeing Buddy play hundreds of times in subsequent years. I had a moderately successful career over the next 15 years (having played with Lee Ritenauer, Ron Eschete, Frank Rosalino, and I sat in with Brubeck when Morello was late for a college concert in Mass.), but I had set the bar too high for myself..and with Buddy and Louis as role models...I felt I was just too far short of their talent to be satisfied.
I went on to have a long career as a criminal psychologist, but jazz and drums have continued to be the great passion of my life. I have a deep appreciation of all of the drum greats and most styles, from Elvin to Tony Williams, etc...but there will likely never be another drummer with the kind of technical command, fire, and drive that he brought on the bandstand every night I saw him.
I miss him greatly. I've heard many great drummers play his charts or pay tribute...but Buddy caught EVERY brass figure, punctuation and dynamic change with that left hand never ceasing to stutter, glide and snap...it was the subtlety of this style and its flawless application that many seem to have overlooked. ~Jim Currie
Next Page >> |
|
|
|
|
 |
