Buddy Rich: Buddy's Rock-Quadromania Jazz Edition

Read About This Recording

Buddy Rich was arguably the greatest drummer ever. He could play faster, more complex, louder and with more virtuosity than any other drummer, doing the impossible on a nightly basis. There is no real explanation for his genius. The son of vaudevillians, he was appearing onstage as Traps The Boy Wonder when he was only 18 months old, completely self-taught. He was one of the highest paid performers in show business when he was just three. In 1937 when he was 20, Rich became a sensation playing with clarinetist Joe Marsala's band. He soon became the drummer with the big bands of Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw (1939) and Tommy Dorsey, easily surpassing the playing of Gene Krupa. Rich may have been difficult to get along with, but his drumming was remarkable from the start.

During the second half of the 1940s, Rich led several short-lived bop-oriented big bands. He spent the 1950s alternating between tours with Jazz At The Philharmonic and the big bands of Tommy Dorsey and Harry James. Rich's main goal was to lead his own orchestra and he succeeded starting in 1966, occasionally disbanding or taking time off for special projects. Jazz and music in general may have advanced beyond Buddy Rich, but no one ever played on his level.

Quadromania is a four-CD set that features Buddy Rich at several different periods in his life. Most of the first two CDs are from 1946-47 as the drummer heads big bands that sometimes feature Allen Eager on tenor. Alternating between swing and bop with occasional vocals from the leader, the Buddy Rich Orchestra generated much excitement during its brief existence.

The third disc has a 1955 studio album that teams Rich in a quintet with Harry Sweets Edison, one of his favorite trumpeters. The music is small-group swing, with fine contributions from pianist Jimmy Rowles and guitarist Barney Kessel. Much of the final CD is from 1977 with Rich matching wits with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton.

There are many fine Buddy Rich albums. This four-CD set shows why the drummer was rated so high during his long career.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Remastered!

CD 1 (TT: 45:37): A Little Handicap; You Got Me Cryin' Again; Dateless Brown; Desperate Desmond; It Couldn't Be True; Quiet Riot; Baby, Baby All the Time; The Iggity Song; Route 66; Ready to Go Steady; Rich-ual Dance; It's About Time; Oop-bop-sha-bam; What is This Thing Called Love; Just You, Just Me.

CD 2 (TT: 60:21): Just You, Just Me; Let's Blow; Somebody Like You; Oh What it Seemed to Me; Handicap; Poor Little Richard Bud; The Goof and I; It's So Peaceful in the Country; What'll I Do; The Carioca; Thou Swell; South; It's About Time; On a Slow Boat to China; Flamingo; He's Funny That Way; A Man Could Be a Wonderful Thing; Over the Rainbow; Robbin's Nest.

CD 3 (TT: 38:48): Yellow Rose of Brooklyn; Easy Does It; All Sweets; Nice Work If; Barney's Bugle; Now's the Time; You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me.

CD 4 (TT: 47:44): Moments Notice; Giant Steps; Buddy's Cherokee; Take the A Train; I'll Never Be the Same; Buddy's Rock; My Funny Valentine; Latin Silk.

Buddy Rich, Stan Kay, Drums; Harry Sweets Edison, Sid Illardi, Lou Oles, Bitsy Mullens, Pinky Savitt, William Karl, Bama Warwick, Paul Cohen, Jimmy Pupa, Tommy Allison, Red Rodney, Sam Fishelson, Phil Gilbert, Bill Howell, Dale Pierce, Charlie Walp, Frank LePinto, Doug Mettome, Trumpets; Sam Hyster, Johnny Mandel, Daves Sickles, Earl Swope, Al Lorraine, Bob Ascher, Mario Daone, Chunky Koenigsberg, Jack Carmen, Trombones; Les Clarke, Aaron Sachs, Romeo Penque, Jerry Therkeld, Eddie Caine, Hal McKusick, Nick Sands, Alto Saxes; George Berg, Mike Blanos, Mickey Rich, Allen Eager, Al Cohn, Al George, Ben Larry, Warne Marsh, Jimmy Giuffre, Steve Marcus, Gary Pribeck, Paul Moen, Tenor Saxes; Sid Brown, Harvey Lavine, Baritone Sax; Tony Nichols, Harvey Leonard, George Handy, Jerry Schwartz, Jimmy Rowles, Pianos; Leonard Len Mirabella Jr., Gene Dell, Barney Kessel, Guitars; Jimmy Johnson, Joe Shulman, Tubby Phillips, Charlie Leeds, Teddy Kotick, Jon Simmons, Barry Kiener, Tom Warrington, Basses; Lionel Hampton, Terry Gibbs, Vibes; Candido Camero, Congas; Dotty Reid, The Woodchucks, Betty Bligh, Vocals.