CD1
1. Moments Notice
2. Watson's Walk
3. St Mark's Square
4. Little Train
5. Milestones
6. The Words
7. Dancing Men
8. Just Buddy Rich
CD2
1.Superstar
2.Love Story
3. In A Mellotone
4. Two Bass Hit
5. Buddy Rich Introduces
6. That's Enough
7. Time Being
8. Buddy Rich Again
Buddy Rich - Drums
Pat LaBarbera, Don Englert - Tenor sax, soprano
sax, flute
Brian A. Grivna - Alto sax, flute
Jimmy Mosher - Alto sax, soprano sax, flute
Joe Calo - Baritone sax, soprano sax, flute
Lin Biviano, Jeff Stout, Wayne Naus, John
Deflon - Trumpets
Bruce Paulson, Tony DiMaggio - Trombones
John Leys - Bass trombone
Bob Dogan - Piano
Paul Kondziela - Bass
I was lucky enough to be
around when Buddy Rich formed his new big
band in 1966 and brought it to Britain - at
a time when big bands were not exactly a surefire
way of making a profit. But Buddy was unique:
a remarkable drummer who had played in such
big bands as those led by Tommy Dorsey and
Harry James, as well as performing in numerous
small groups: notably on recordings organised
by Norman Granz. He managed to keep his new
big band together until 1974, and this double
album was recorded at Ronnie Scott's London
club in 1971.
This album captures the sheer
excitement of Buddy's band in full flight
before an enthusiastic audience. The sound
quality (recording engineer: Bob Auger) is
remarkably good for a recording in a comparatively
cramped club, and it conveys the way that
Rich's drumming propelled the band forward
with unstoppable power. The opening Moments
Notice illustrates this to the full, with
tightly-phrased ensembles plus dynamic solos
from altoist Jimmy Mosher, trumpeter Jeff
Stout, and tenorist Pat LaBarbera (who, along
with trumpeter Liv Biviano and trombonist
Bruce Paulson, is the most predominantly featured
soloist here). The band was certainly an exciting
unit but it is Buddy's drums that catch the
attention, for the major contribution they
make to the music. He was in some ways an
old-fashioned drummer, playing four-in-a-bar
on the bass drum, but his accents are spot-on
and his drum breaks are masterpieces of precision
and sheer rightness.
The presence of John Coltrane's
Moments Notice illustrates another
strength of the band: its readiness to take
on contemporary themes like this and Miles
Davis's Milestones, as well as such
show tunes as Superstar -= in which
Buddy Rich exhibits his ability to play a
thrusting jazz-rock rhythm. The band also
features original compositions by Pat LaBarbera
and Bill Holman, not forgetting older jazz
classics like Duke Ellington's In a Mellotone
and the Dizzy Gillespie Two Bass Hit.
The only weak spot is the
introduction of Buddy's daughter, Kathy, doing
her best at singing That's Enough,
although one doubts if she would have got
a hearing if she hadn't been related to the
bandleader. But one can forgive such peccadilloes
(Kathy's track only lasts for two minutes,
anyway) because her father was one of the
greatest drummers in jazz. He is featured
more in short breaks than in long drum solos
but his dexterity and time-keeping are continuously
impressive. Just sample his bass-drum work
in Dancing Men. And when he
finally does a long drum solo (in Time
Being), his control of the drum kit is
phenomenal. He also breaks in from time to
time with his laconic introductions and ironic
remarks. But it's the music for which jazz
fans should buy this double CD - especially
as it is very reasonably priced.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
BGO
Records BGOCD 785
