Search - Buddy Rich :: Big Swing Face

My heart swings like Bud's ride cymbal when I listen to this

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 02/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a drummer (a Jazz guitarist actually) but Buddy Rich is one of my musical heroes. He is up there in my personal Olympo. He embodied what I believe music should be. Virtuosistic abilities, fun, attitude, adventureness, deep value, hard swing, melodic-harmonic-rhitmic richness, beautiful charts. Buddy Rich is up there to me in the history of good music, with Bird and all the best cats. In these days I am trying to buy everything I see from the man to own his full story (but he recorded a lot believe me!!). Going through the various periods I have to say that Buddy is always simply unreachable whatever he plays, but the best big band albums are to me some of the best music he recorded in his immense career. This one is fantastic. It swings hard from the beginning to the end, the chart are sublime, the program absolutly interesting 'till the last note, and the band tight and well rounded. And I don't want to say nothing about Buddy. BUDDY RICH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me, if you want stellar Jazz that swings hard, if you want to have fun with a jazz record, and if you want to buy something really precious, something that you will treasure forever, buy this album. Thank you Buddy for all the fantastic emotions your music gives me. AND YOU DUDE, BUY, BUY, BUY THIS ALBUM."

Pure Drumming Pleasure

Phil Bostian | Charlotte, NC | 12/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The original LP release of this album was nothing short of absolutely amazing. Now with the bonus tracks, any lover of Buddy Rich's drumming cannot afford to be without the CD version. Two tracks are particularly worthy of Buddy. "Love for Sale" has to have the most energetic single stroke roll in the history of jazz drumming. How he lived through that one, let alone played it, is unknown to me. Then there is "Apples (aka Gino)" which I nominate as the new "Cute." On this one, though, there are no brushes, just a hard, driving, nearly machine-like pace that's leaves the listener breathless and eager to play the track again."Big Swing Face" is notable for the woodwind ensemble work, smooth as silk, and there's the rebirth of "Bugle Call Rag." No, it's not very military here, just a hard, swinging tune.A bonus is "The Beat Goes On" with Buddy's daughter Cathy Rich providing the vocal.If you like big bands, and a drummer that really kicks the band into better, more inspired playing, you won't go wrong with this CD."

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Phil Bostian | 11/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... just clean, clean as a whistle jazz to which you just gotta grin. There's nothing like the Big Band anywhere else, and in no other "live" recording did the Buddy Rich band come alive more than right here, folks. I had the original record on Pacific Jazz back in the late '60's, and everyone I knew (we were in high school then) absolutely loved it! When I found it in CD a number of years ago, I picked up my jaw, took out my wallet and ran straight home to hear it in all of its flawless, digital glory. I haven't stopped listening to it since. The beat goes on, man! There's none better than this. Check out "New Blues," along with "Love For Sale," and, of course, "The Beat Goes On," the latter of which is the greatest music-to-drive-by of the century. Great for parties, great for work, and drop-dead great all around. This CD will put you out in the orbit of Neptune and you won't even have to pick up the tab for the rocket fuel. Drop your socks and call the law--Buddy's back!"