Having worked with both Buddy and Louie, I can provide a first hand perspective that can be taken with a grain of salt. To me, the better all around musician was Louie. He was a trained guy, fine composer, top line sight reader, and had an incredible set of ears which made him a very efficient band leader. He was also just about the nicest guy I ever met in the music business, a real saint. But no one lifted me as a player like Buddy. In fact it wasn't even close, although I truly loved Louie Bellson. I've been fortunate to have worked with a lot of great drummers: Max Roach, Gadd, Kenny Clare, Dannie Richmond, Shaughnessy, Gottlieb, Billy Cobham, Chico Hamilton and a lot more. But to me, Buddy was on an entirely different level, intensity and groove especially. Also trust me that you get a different perspective when all that playing is happening a foot away while you are personally interacting.
As for the attitude, I think too much is made of it. Buddy wasn't such a bad guy. I'm just convinced he was bi-polar. He was like a lot of great men who were affected by the imbalances caused by their creative natures. To be candid, if you wanted to criticize every great artist who wasn't bright and cheery all the time, you would be criticizing a great many people, who I think are best evaluated on their playing alone, while leaving out the personal stuff. Yes, I saw some quick rages for sure. He once fired me when I'm sure all I had to do was step a foot over to the left and he would have fired the picture on the wall behind me. But when I was a young man, he gave me money I truly needed- and did not ask for- then never asked for it back. To me, that's not a bad guy.
When my son was on these networks, I often inquired as to why so many young drummers disrespected Buddy, to the point of forwarding incorrect information, especially this drum evolution stuff that tends to marginalize older players and from an artistic and historical perspective, makes no sense at all. In fact, I don't know of a single musicologist who wouldn't laugh at the notion of something later and different having to be judged as better in of itself. When a young drummer tries to explain a drum evolution like he's building a newer, more advanced airplane, then I wonder if he's not missing the main point, which first and foremost "can you play, as in really play?" That question will always be the most relevant.
Still for me, the biggest head scratcher comes from those wanting to create a separate reality by refusing to believe that no other drummer besides Krupa or Ringo Starr was better known than Buddy Rich. In the 1970s especially, no one was remotely close to the name recognition of Buddy and that includes the wonderful drummer John Bonham, who realistically was only known to a youthful demographic. On the flip side, every known demographic young and old, musical or otherwise knew Buddy.
I think these differing perspectives have to do more with the generations themselves. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but I think my generation was more accustomed to the rougher edges, whereas younger folks tend to judge more favorably those who hand out positive reinforcement. Also know that we jazz hard cores are certainly exacting, but not entirely jazz police. Most of us in fact like all music played well. I certainly do. But yes, there are the jerks among us who tend to sway perspectives of even high profile non-jazz musicians, who I would bet in most cases, say what they do because of some personal negative interaction, which in turn unintentionally affects how they "listen" to other music.
I appreciate your group allowing me to express these views. See you next time.