Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He discovered his affinity for jazz music at a young age and began drumming at the age of two. He began playing jazz in 1937, working with acts such as Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James. From 1942 to 1944, Rich served in the U.S. Marines. From 1945 to 1948, he led the Buddy Rich Orchestra. In 1966, he recorded a big-band style arrangement of songs from West Side Story. He found lasting success in 1966 with the formation of the Buddy Rich Big Band, also billed as the Buddy Rich Band and The Big Band Machine. Rich was known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed. He was an advocate of the traditional grip, though he occasionally used matched grip when playing the toms. Despite his commercial success and musical talent, Rich never learned how to read sheet music, preferring to listen to drum parts and play them from memory.

1966 was a most illogical time for anyone to try forming a new big band but Buddy Rich beat the odds. This CD reissues the first album by the Buddy Rich Orchestra, augmenting the original Lp program with nine previously unissued performances from the same sessions. The arrangements (eight by Oliver Nelson along with charts by Bill Holman, Phil Wilson, Jay Corre, Don Rader and others) swing, put the emphasis on the ensembles and primarily feature Corre's tenor although trumpeter Bobby Shew, altoist Pete Yellin, pianist John Bunch and guitarist Barry Zweig are also heard from. Most of the songs did not stay in the drummer's repertoire long (other than Bill Reddie's adaptation of "West Side Story" and "Sister Sadie") and in fact only three members of the 17-piece orchestra would still be working for Rich a year later. An enjoyable and somewhat historic set.

At the end of 1973, it was reported that Buddy Rich had tired of the road and the challenge of meeting a payroll of 16, not including non-musicians. As reported in Mel Torme's bio of Buddy, he scaled down to a sextet(with variations) and someone bankrolled his own club.
Unlike the very young musicians in his big band, which came right out of Berklee and North Texas State, these were seasoned veterans. What a line-up! The great Kenny Barron - check out his recent playing with vocalist Hilary Kole. Also in the band - Sonny Fortune, Jack Wilkins, a young Anthony Jackson…

Avid Jazz here presents three classic Buddy Rich albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered double CD.
“The Wailing Buddy Rich”; “The Swinging Buddy Rich; “This One’s For Basie” plus 6 of 7 tracks from “Buddy And Sweets”.
Bernard “Buddy” Rich was born to show biz parents in Brooklyn in 1917. A natural drummer he was known in vaudeville as “Taps the Drum Wonder” and was leading his own band by the time he was eleven! Starting his jazz career in 1938 in Joe Marsala’s band he went on to play with the likes of Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw and Harry James…

While there may never be an truly comprehensive, one-disc "introduction" to jazz in general, CLASSIC JAZZ does indeed come close–at least, regarding mainstream jazz of the 1960s and early '70s. Present are iconic drummer-bandleaders Buddy Rich and Elvin Jones, purveyors of blues-soaked hard bop Cannonball Adderley and Lee Morgan, vibes ace Bobby Hutcherson, soul-jazz stalwarts Gene Harris, Horace Silver, and Grant Green, and more!

Mel Tormé and Buddy Rich had been friends for decades prior to finally getting around to recording together. Although largely a Tormé vocal record, the Buddy Rich Orchestra, with guest altoist Phil Woods, is in top form, and the drummer/leader has several solos…

This album documents drummer Buddy Rich's bout with what were contemporary trends in jazz and pop music during the year 1980. Operating in a groove similar to that of Maynard Ferguson's high-voltage big band, Rich and Co. churned out exciting music that went over well with the crowd at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, England. The leader of the reeds, and this band's featured soloist, was tenor and soprano saxophonist Steve Marcus. Don Menza's ultra-funky "Beulah Witch" and Bob Kaye's "Grand Concourse" have that beefed-up, big city big-band feel that was so prevalent during the '70s and '80s. The rest of the tunes on this album were composed by baritone saxophonist Bob Mintzer. His "Blues a la 88" is finely wrought and superbly executed…

One in the series of albums Hampton produced and issued on the Who's Who label in the '70s, this one featured Buddy Rich's late '70s orchestra. It was a well-polished, cohesive group, although it lacked dynamic soloists other than tenor saxophonist Steve Marcus. Still, Rich drove them hard and provided his own excitement with powerhouse drumming. It's great to hear Buddy Rich in a combo setting, especially teamed up with Candido Camero on conga. Lionel Hampton swings while Buddy cooks. The tunes are great, with great arrangments, and lots af variety. Oh yeah, the piano player, Barry Kiener, is great too.