You can argue until you’re blue in the face as to who has been the “best” drummer ever, but no one will contradict you if you say that Buddy Rich was the fastest gunslinger in the trap set. Some people say that makes him the best, but that’s where the arguing and fun begins. This 3 disc, 59 song anthology finds him after being a sideman for the big bands of Artie Shaw, Harry James and most notably Tommy Dorsey (can you imagine a band with the egos of Dorsey, Rich and Sinatra?!?) and being a leader of his own big band, small groups and as a co-leader among giants such as Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Flip Phillips.
The first disc is an in-your-face collection of extroverted and enthusiastic big band sessions post WWI, featuring Rich in jaw dropping form with sidemen including Johnny Mandel and Red Rodney and arrangements from Neal Hefti, with overwhelming charts of “Four Rich Brothers” and “Quiet Riot”.
While known as a swing drummer, Rich was also one of the best of the beboppers, displayed by his work with Charlie Parker as on “Star Eyes” and “Leap Frog” along with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Curley. Because he started out as a tap dancer, Rich uses his brushes to dance like Astaire, deft and sleek with bands led by tenor saxists Flip Phillips (“Bright Blues”) and Charlie Parker (“After You’re Gone”), while in a glorious mood with Bud Powell and Ray Brown on “Tea For Two”.
Rich sounds most comfortable with fellow extroverts like Lionel Hampton (“Airmail Special”) and Art Tatum (“This Can’t Be Love”), yet sets a cool pulse with the economic Count Basie on “Count’s Organ Blues”. He leads a collection of swing to boppers such as Barney Kessel, Jimmy Rowles/p and Harry “Sweets” Edison/tp for “All Sweets” and “The Two Mothers”.
If you’ve ever seen Rich in concert, or watched a film of him, you immediately think of the phrase, “The hand is quicker than the eye”. This collection makes you think it’s also faster than the ear. WHEW!