The Grand Master Buddy Rich

Inside Buddy Rich by Jim Nesbitt
a lot of detail maybe 100 pages Transcriptions and tricks from a stay at Disneyland shows..
Mostly straight time/ in the lines/
there's one section where author states "one surrealistic moment...where he lays...14 strokes over 12"
(see Pdf page 4 below)
It's the greatest contemporary (on last Radio King, McSweeny kit) Bud transcription book ever imo

otherwise everything is in prime time
if you can find the book buy it "Inside Buddy Rich" by Jim Nesbitt
you'll have right in front of you everything Bud.


He recorded, transcribed , spoke with Buddy in between shows added BR's comments, in addition to the transcribing; just an amazing book
 
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jda said:
Inside Buddy Rich by Jim Nesbitt
a lot of detail maybe 100 pages Transcriptions and tricks from a stay at Disneyland shows..
Mostly straight time/ in the lines/
there's one section where author states "one surrealistic moment...where he lays...14 strokes over 12"
(see Pdf page 4 below)
It's the greatest contemporary (on last Radio McSweeny kit) Bud transcription book ever imo

otherwise everything is in prime time
if you can find the book buy it "Inside Buddy Rich" Jim Nesbitt
you'll have right in front of you everything Bud.

Click to expand...
I thought this was a fun remark:
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There are plenty of people today who can play faster than Buddy, and even some who get around the kit better. But I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone play as clean as he did. Which isn’t actually a plus for me, I like a very small amount of slop/dirt, I think it’s expressive and fun. Morello never played QUITE as clean as Buddy, but his fast licks were more elegant and dancy. Buddy didn’t always look like he was having a good time. Morello usually did lol
 
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I don’t think Buddy played the second floor because it wasn’t ergonomic

Now on face value, you got to wonder; did Buddy actually think of such things?

According to Dick C. he did. DC wrote this great article on the great teacher of ergonomics and how Buddy’s kit setup didn’t change over the years. By reducing the need to reach or twist, Rich was able to maximize his economy of motion and increase his speed

270FB871-A685-4AC5-955C-CF04CC809AF7.jpeg
 
IMO for a drummer born in 1917 - top of his field during the swing era - Buddy in the 60's until his death often did very complex things - sometimes being very sophisticated (complex) rhythmically.

Of course, one must always keep that birth date in mind, when listening. To expect Buddy to be as progressive rhythmically as Tony is simply ludicrous. Tony grew up listening to the inventors of be bop - Buddy as a teen had the originators of swing. At 10 years old, Tony could've experienced the Max Ranch/Clifford Brown group... Buddy would've maybe heard Louis Armstrong's How Five or Seven.
But beyond that - one most only need listen - which I honestly feel that many people with pretty firm opinions of Buddy's playing really haven't done.

To really evaluate Buddy takes (again IMO) well... first off - forgetting YouTube - as it is almost nothing but solo clips. Buddy's true genius was while playing with the band.... the solos were essential to getting the rubes to buy tickets. The real beauty (and lessons to be learned) from Buddy's playing is again, how he drove the bus... how he played with the band.

So again - forget YouTube - head for Spotify, etc.... and check out the Pacific Jazz albums.... Swinging' New Band, Big Swing Face, The New One, Mercy- Mercy, Keep The Customer Satisfied, Buddy and Soul.... most of those albums have one - and only one solo feature. Other charts may have two and four bar breaks - but then again, so does most other big band albums.

But in any case, even in the solos, there will some very sophisticated rhythmic phrases and/or sections. IMO Buddy was way, way more than just fast...
 
implied rhythms, secondary rhythms cross-rhythms poly-rhythms
he really didn't have time for came up in, specialized in a different era/area
His speed was complex; Certainly the motions were very complex. the actual notation, on paper, might could be argued less so, Certainly the motions were very complex at that speed was and is difficult.
he never really delved into the "mysterious" implied side More Up front
almost like Dixieland origins at 300 mph, Or 280.

His best most intricate work may have been at age 3.


he milked that like a sumnabch


the metrical overshadowing melodic or pastel "colors"..
but that's where /how/ drumming started/ was/ in some corners
the speed was complex- if complex is defined as hard to duplicate (which in his case it is),


except maybe deep in other cultures which had other elements; call and response, melodic idea'r..s.
He didn't seem much interested in the voodoo..
lol
 
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