Search - Artist/Band: Buddy Rich

• Name: Buddy Rich
• Birthday: 09/30/1917
• Birth Place: New York, NY
• Died: 04/02/1987
• Decades Active: 1920,1930,1940,1950,1960,1970,1980
• Genre: Jazz
• Styles: Big Band, Mainstream Jazz, Swing, Bop, Modern Big Band
• Moods: Amiable/Good-Natured, Boisterous, Confident, Earthy, Energetic, Exuberant, Party/Celebratory, Stylish, Elegant, Freewheeling, Knotty, Rollicking, Sentimental, Whimsical, Passionate, Playful, Sophisticated, Aggressive

Title	Release
Jam Session Blues	2008
Nellie's Nightmare	2008
Quiet Riot	2008
Time Out	09/25/2007
The Monster	09/17/2007
Play the Arrangements of Marty Paich & Ernie Wilkins	09/03/2007
Jazz Biography	06/05/2007
Buddy Rich: The Man	12/05/2006
1950-1955 WA	05/16/2006
Supreme Jazz	03/27/2006
Classic Argo Emarcy and Verve Small Groups	02/20/2006
Plays & Plays and Plays	07/25/2005
Quiet Riot [Bonus Tracks]	10/05/2004
No Funny Hats	09/28/2004
Buddy's Cherokee: The Lionel Hampton Sessions	02/25/2003
Poor Little Rich Bud	12/05/2002
All Star Small Groups	09/04/2001
Rich-Ual Dance	04/17/2001
Golden Essentials 1945-1948	03/20/2001
Great Moments [Crown]	02/21/2001
Latin Silk	2001
Buddy's Rock	08/19/2000
1946-1948 WA	05/06/2000
Buddy Rich Collection	1999
Giant Steps	11/17/1998
V-Disc Recordings	07/21/1998
The Legendary: 1946-1948	04/07/1998
Take It Away	01/23/1996
Rich & Famous	01/01/1996
Sweet Georgia Brown	1994
Jazz Classics	1993
Swingin' New Big Band/Keep the Customer Satisfied WA	1992
Play Selections from West Side Story & Other Delights [LRC]	1991
Compact Jazz: Buddy Rich	1987
The Buddy Rich Band	1981
The Greatest Drummer That Ever Lived With...The Best Band I Ever Had	10/1977
Sound of Jazz	09/1977
Lionel Hampton Presents Buddy Rich	07/1977
Speak No Evil	02/1976
Big Band Machine	1975
The Last Blues Album, Vol. 1	11/1974
Transition	1974
Ease on Down the Road WA	10/1973
Jazz Collector Edition [LaserLight]	10/1973
The Roar of '74	10/1973
Stick It	08/10/1972
Time Being	08/13/1971
Keep the Customer Satisfied	02/1970
No Jive	1970
Rich Ala Rahka	02/05/1968
The New One!	06/15/1967
Swingin' New Big Band	09/29/1966
The Best of Buddy Rich: The Pacific Jazz Years	1966
Blues Caravan WA	08/14/1961
Playtime	1960
Rich Versus Roach WA	04/1959
Richcraft	03/1959
The Cinch	11/1958
Buddy Rich in Miami	1958
Just Sings	01/31/1957
This One's for Basie	08/24/1956
Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer WA	01/04/1956
Buddy and Sweets	09/01/1955
Buddy Rich & His Legendary '47-'48 Orchestra	10/12/1945

When it came to technique, speed, power, and the ability to put together incredible drum solos, Buddy Rich lived up to the billing of "the world's greatest drummer." Although some other drummers were more innovative, in reality none were in his league even during the early days. A genius, Buddy Rich started playing drums in vaudeville as "Traps, the Drum Wonder" when he was only 18 months old; he was completely self-taught. Rich performed in vaudeville throughout his childhood and developed into a decent singer and a fine tap dancer. But drumming was his purpose in life, and by 1938 he had discovered jazz and was playing with Joe Marsala's combo. Rich was soon propelling Bunny Berigan's orchestra, he spent most of 1939 with Artie Shaw (at a time when the clarinetist had the most popular band in swing), and then from 1939-1945 (except for a stint in the military) he was making history with Tommy Dorsey. During this era it became obvious that Buddy Rich was the king of drummers, easily dethroning his friend Gene Krupa. Rich had a bop-ish band during 1945-1947 that did not catch on, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, recorded with a countless number of all-stars in the 1950s for Verve (including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Art Tatum, and Lionel Hampton), and worked with Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, Tommy Dorsey (1954-1955), and Harry James (off and on during 1953-1966). A heart attack in 1959 only slowed him down briefly and, although he contemplated becoming a full-time vocalist, Rich never gave up the drums.

In 1966, Buddy Rich beat the odds and put together a successful big band that would be his main outlet for his final 20 years. His heart began giving him trouble starting in 1983, but Rich never gave his music less than 100 percent and was still pushing himself at the end. A perfectionist who expected the same from his sidemen (some of whom he treated cruelly), Buddy Rich is definitively documented in Mel Tormé's book -Traps the Drum Wonder. His incredible playing can be viewed on several readily available videotapes, although surprisingly few of his later big band albums have been made available yet on CD. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide