While best known for his big band, Buddy Rich also served up a number of impressive small group recordings, most famously with Art Tatum and Lionel Hampton back in the 1950s. This single disc has Buddy in piano/bass/drum settings, recorded during 1076-77 with pianist Barry Kiener and either Jon Burr or Tom Warrington on bass. The recording itself is a tad distant, but not enough to make you keep away from it.
It sounds like Rich was mostly using brushes during all of the tunes, and he is simply deft and boppingly light throughout, classy on “Just Friends” and sublime for “Like Someone In Love”. He shows his bop chops during “Groovin’ High”, giving solo space to Burr her and on “There Will Never Be Another You” , while Warrington gets a spotlight on “Stella By Starlight”. Kiener for his part is a mix of Garner and Peterson, swinging but with a dash of rococo, and goes solo on a fragrant read of “Here’s That Rainy Day”. Rich is a stallion in restraint here.