The Grand Master Buddy Rich

He doesn't get the respect that Jones, Blakey, Dejohnette, Williams, Roach, etc get from Jazz drummers.

haha - alrighty then.

It's ironic you use those names, as they had huge amounts of respect for Buddy and said so many times over.

Sure, there are some jazz drummers out there who are not fans of Buddy Rich, but to put out such a sweeping generalization is frankly ridiculous.
 
I absolutely love Buddy’s playing, how could you not as a drummer? At least be in awe of something when he plays, even if you dislike him.

Just the pure aggression that never lets up is something to behold. Christ, the guy had a heart attack on stage halfway through a solo without letting up. And then there’s the natural technique and speed…… Oh my!

However, although I am a fan when I think of drummers at the top of the game that worked in/around Jazz since I've gotten older and have looked for other things in peoples playing I do think of a handful of other drummers first, mainly for the way they interacted with the music first and foremost.
 
"An interesting insight into the making of "Channel One Suite " with a performance of "Birdland" and information from his daughter and valet...."

Buddy being interviewed, close up playing, insights- good fun stuff.

https://youtu.be/x548bDQdzc8
 
A friend of mine just put this up. Ken Loomer is an accomplished Big Band drummer who put together this great video with his personal photos and stories about Buddy and numerous other great ones!
https://youtu.be/BTsnnA6nlvk
 
Such a lucky dog. Ken is such a great drummer I could almost call him Buddy Rich Jr. if I could.
 
Yeah, Ken is awesome. I met him on YT a few years ago and I follow his uploads.
I have learned a great deal from him.
 
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was born 100 years ago today!!
Born: September 30, 1917, Brooklyn, New York City
Died: April 2, 1987, Los Angeles, CA
 
I've been playing drums since the early 80s, and that entire time it's been a "known fact" that Buddy Rich was the greatest drummer of all time. Ask any of the big name drummers who the greatest is, and everyone from Neil Peart to Weckl will all pretty much say the same thing.

But is he really the greatest of all time? Taken literally, that means he's the best drummer who has ever lived. But when I see the amazingly intricate polyrhythms and four-limb independence of drummers like Marco Minnemann and Thomas Lang, the extreme creativity of drummers like Gavin Harrison and Benny Greb, and the new crop of ultra-talented jazz virtuosos like Antonio Sanchez, Eric Harland and Keith Carlock, I can't help but think that drumming has really evolved to a whole new level since Buddy's days.

I've watched a lot of Buddy Rich videos, and while he was obviously great, I think his biggest strength was his showmanship. He had a very flashy way of playing that endeared him to audiences, yet to my ears he's a very busy player who relied mostly on his ultra-quick hands, and did little with his feet. Of course intricate double bass drumming didn't really begin to be a thing until years after his death, but to me that's kind of the point. Today's top drummers are doing things that Buddy and his contemporaries couldn't even conceive of back then. So yes, I think drumming has evolved, and perhaps Buddy isn't the greatest of all time.

Is he one of the greats? Of course. Is he the greatest of his time? While I prefer Elvin Jones and Joe Morello, I have no problem giving Buddy that title. I'd even be okay with calling him greatest big band drummer of all time (with apologies to Tommy Igoe). But greatest drummer of all time? I think that may have been the case at one point, but if you really think about it, probably no longer holds true.

A bit sacrilegious, I know.
 
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In the same way that Ali is "The Greatest" boxer of all time.

They managed to transcend their chosen fields and become so much more than just their vocation.

Did they have equals? Yeah. Have people come along since and raised the bar? Sure. But some people just seem to have that indefinable quality that puts them at the top of the heap.......in spite of the fact that there were others who could do it just as well.

Why some men shine so brightly over another of equal talent and ability, is God's own private mystery. But if you ever figure out the formula, be sure to come back and let me know.
 
Agree. He’s the greatest big band drummer, no question. Morello is the greatest small jazz combo player, and Papa Jo Jones gets props for innovating so much of the modern drumset setup.

As far as modern players go, I have my faves, like Johnny Rabb and Carter Beaufort, but it really is tough to compare the new to the old, simply because 4-limb independence and double bass work have really changed the game.

Buddy inspired a lot of people, though. He had that fire that very few have.
 
..But when I see the amazingly intricate polyrhythms and four-limb independence of drummers like Marco Minnemann and Thomas Lang, the extreme creativity of drummers like Gavin Harrison and Benny Greb, and the new crop of ultra-talented jazz virtuosos like Antonio Sanchez, Eric Harland and Keith Carlock, I can't help but think that drumming has really evolved to a whole new level since Buddy's days..


The question is more if drumming would have evolved the same if he wouldnt have been there..And i think that would not have been the case..

Thats the reason why people like him belong to the best in history..

And besides that, i dare to doubt that those 'technique-guys' that you mention have the same level of hand-technique like Buddy Rich had..
 
The question is more if drumming would have evolved the same if he wouldnt have been there..And i think that would not have been the case..

Thats the reason why people like him belong to the best in history..

And besides that, i dare to doubt that those 'technique-guys' that you mention have the same level of hand-technique like Buddy Rich had..

You think Johnny Rabb couldn’t have beaten Buddy at hand technique? Or Mike Mangini?
 
My vote goes to Jeff Indyke.
 
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