BUDDY RICH

Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and former Marine. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed.

Early life

Rich was born in Brooklyn, New York to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich. His talent for rhythm was first noted by his father, who saw that Buddy could keep a steady beat with spoons at the age of one. He began playing drums in vaudeville when he was 18 months old, billed as "Traps the Drum Wonder." At the peak of Rich's childhood career, he was reportedly the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world (after Jackie Coogan). At 11 he was performing as a bandleader. He received no formal drum instruction, and went so far as to claim that instruction would only degrade his musical talent. He also never admitted to practicing, claiming to play the drums only during performances. He expressed great admiration for, and was influenced by, the playing of Chick Webb, Gene Krupa, Dave Tough, and Jo Jones, among others.

He first played jazz in 1937 with Joe Marsala's group with guitarist Jack Lemaire, then played with Bunny Berigan (1938) and Artie Shaw (1939). In 1939, Rich taught drums to the young Mel Brooks, and persuaded Artie Shaw to allow a 13-year-old Brooks to attend Shaw's recording sessions in Manhattan.

Big band success and later life

In addition to Tommy Dorsey (1939–1942, 1945, 1954–1955), where Rich met and performed with Frank Sinatra, Rich also played with Benny Carter (1942), Harry James (1953-1956–1962, 1964, 1965), Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, as well as leading his own band and performing with all-star groups. In October 1944, at the Paramount Theater Rich mentioned to Sinatra that he was interested in starting his own band. Sinatra wrote him a check for $40,000 and said "Good Luck. This'll get you started."

For most of the period from 1966 until his death, he led a successful big band in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned from their 1930s and 40s peak. Rich also served as the session drummer for many recordings, where his playing was often much more understated than in his own big-band performances. Especially notable were Rich's sessions for the late-career comeback recordings of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, on which he worked with pianist Oscar Peterson and his famous trio featuring bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis. In the 1950s, Rich was a frequent guest on The Steve Allen Show and other television variety shows. Beginning in 1962, Rich was also a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show, among others.

Rich continued to play clubs including a high power appearance at the Cellar Door in Georgetown in Washington,D.C. in 1972, in which patrons were treated to Rich's power and dynamics in a small club environment. One of his most seen television performances was in a 1978 episode of The Muppet Show, where he engaged Muppet drummer "Animal" (played by Ronnie Verrell) in a drum battle. Rich won handily, infuriating Animal so much that he broke a drum over Rich's head.

Drumming technique

Rich's technique has been one of the most standardized and coveted in drumming. His dexterity, speed and smooth execution are considered "holy grails" of drum technique. While Rich typically held his sticks using traditional grip, he was also a skilled "match grip" player, and was one of few drummers to master the one-handed roll on both hands. Some of his more spectacular moves are crossover riffs, where he would criss-cross his arms from one drum to another, sometimes over the arm, and even under the arm at great speed.

He often used contrasting techniques to keep long drum solos from getting mundane. Aside from his energetic explosive displays, he would go into quieter passages. One passage he would use in most solos starts with a simple single-stroke roll on the snare picking up speed and power, then slowly moving his sticks closer to the rim as he gets quieter and then eventually playing on just the rim itself while still maintaining speed. Then he would reverse the effect and slowly move towards the center of the snare while increasing power.

Rich also demonstrated incredible skill at brush technique. On one album, Tatum Group Masterpieces No. 3 along with Lionel Hampton and Art Tatum, Rich plays brushes almost throughout with a mastery seldom achieved by any other drummer.

Another technique that few drummers have been able to perfect is the stick-trick where he does a fast roll just by slapping his two sticks together in a circular motion.

In 1942, Rich and drum teacher Henry Adler co-authored the instructional book Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments, regarded as one of the more popular snare-drum rudiment books written, mainly because of the Buddy Rich imprimatur.

One of Adler's former students introduced Adler to Rich. "The kid told me Buddy played better than [Gene] Krupa. Buddy was only in his teens at the time and his friend was my first pupil. Buddy played and I watched his hands. Well, he knocked me right out. He did everything I wanted to do, and he did it with such ease. When I met his folks, I asked them who his teacher was. 'He never studied,' they told me. That made me feel very good. I realized that it was something physical, not only mental, that you had to have."

In a 1985 interview, Adler clarified the extent of his teacher-student relationship to Rich and their collaboration on the instructional book:

"I had nothing to do with [the rumor that I taught Buddy how to play]. That was a result of Tommy Dorsey's introduction to the Buddy Rich book," Adler said. "I used to go around denying it, knowing that Buddy was a natural player. Sure, he studied with me, but he didn't come to me to learn how to hold the drumsticks. I set out to teach Buddy to read. He'd take six lessons, go on the road for six weeks and come back. He didn't have time to practice."

"Tommy Dorsey wanted Buddy to write a book and he told him to get in touch with me. I did the book and Tommy wrote the foreword. Technically, I was Buddy's teacher, but I came along after he had already acquired his technique."

The West Side Story Medley

Perhaps his most popular later performance was a big band arrangement of a medley derived from the Leonard Bernstein classic West Side Story, first released on the 1966 album Buddy Rich's Swingin' New Big Band

The West Side Story medley is considered by many as one of the most complex and difficult-to-perform big-band arrangements written. Penned by Bill Reddie, Rich received this arrangement of Leonard Bernstein's melodies from the famed musical in the mid-60s and found it to be very challenging even for him. It consists of many rapid-fire time changes and signatures and took almost a month of constant rehearsals to perfect. It has since become a staple in all his performances clocking in at various lengths from seven to fifteen minutes. Bernstein himself has had nothing but praise for it. In 2002, a DVD was released called The Lost West Side Story Tapes that captured a 1985 performance of this along with other numbers. These tapes were thought to be lost in a fire.

Channel One Suite

After the West Side Story Medley, Rich's most famous performance was the Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie. Like the West Side Story Medley, the Channel One Suite generally was a quite long performance ranging from about 12 minutes to about 26 minutes and usually contained 2 or 3 drum solos. Although 26 minute performances of the Channel One Suite were not incredibly common, they were not unheard of. A recording of one of his live performances was released in 2006 which contained a 26 minute Channel One Suite.

Personality

Although Rich was usually helpful and friendly, he had a short temper. In many instances, he took advantage of the respect he commanded. While he threatened many times to fire members of his band, he seldom did so, and for the most part he lauded his band members during television and print interviews. Rich's temper, mercurial attitude and imposing personality are documented in secret recordings members of his band made during some of his tantrums on tour buses and backstage.

These recordings, long circulated in bootleg form, have done much to fuel the reputation of Rich's personality. The tapes were popular with comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, who used three quotes from them more or less verbatim on Seinfeld:
"If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!" ("The Opposite")
"This guy - this is not my kind of guy." ("The Understudy")
"Then let's see how he does, up there, without all the assistance!" ("The Butter Shave")

On one recording, Rich attempts to fire Dave Panichi, a trombonist, for wearing a beard.

Rich's temper was referred in the Beastie Boys song "Sabotage": "I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle." Dusty Springfield allegedly slapped Rich after he made a rude remark to her. In the early 1970s he commented how odious he found the emerging American boy band, The Osmonds, especially Donny Osmond. Later, he sometimes wore a Donny Osmond badge on his lapel while performing. Many believe this was a badge with a picture of his daughter Cathy.

Buddy Rich held a black belt in karate, as mentioned in a CNN television interview with Larry King, c. 1985.

Death and legacy

Buddy Rich remained active until the end of his life, appearing with his Big Band on Michael Parkinson's British talk show Parkinson only a few weeks prior to his death. In the episode, Parkinson kidded Rich about his Donny Osmond kick, by claiming that Rich was the president of Osmond's fan club. Reportedly, prior to heart surgery, when asked by a nurse if he was allergic to anything he replied, "Yes, Country and Western music!" Days before he died, he was visited by Mel Tormé, who claims that one of Buddy's last requests was "to hear the tapes" that featured his angry outbursts. At the time, Tormé was working on an authorized biography of Rich which was released after Rich's death, titled "Traps, The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich". On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Since Rich's death, a number of memorial concerts have been held. In 1994, the Rich tribute album Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich was released. Produced by Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, the album features performances of Rich staples by a number of rock and jazz drummers such as Kenny Aronoff, Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Max Roach and Peart himself, accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band. A second volume was issued in 1997.

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Buddy Rich...

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.

Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, "Traps the Drum Wonder." With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world.

Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House. By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 40s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943).

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.

Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, Rich entertained audiences through his constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers.

This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley. During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the king of Thailand, the queen of England, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Regan and King Hussein of Jordan.

On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Long-time friend, Frank Sinatra, presented the eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was "The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."

Source: http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Buddy_Rich.html

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Biography by Scott Yanow

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.

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By Joyce Harrison 

Born Bernard Rich, September 30, 1917, in New York City; died of heart failure after surgery to remove a brain tumor, April 2, 1987, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Robert and Bess (Skolnik) Rich (both vaudeville performers); married Marie Allison, 1952; children: Cathy. Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1942-44.
 
Ask 100 percussionists to name the greatest drummer of all time, and chances are that the majority of them will respond by saying "Buddy Rich." The litany of jazz drummers is long, but Rich was one of a kind, distinguished by his virtuosity, speed, and precision. His long career exposed his talents to countless listeners, and even those whose knowledge of drummers is minimal are likely to have heard of him.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1917, Rich's performing career began before he was two years old. His parents, who had a vaudeville act, showcased their son as "Traps, the Drum Wonder." In his most popular routine, young Rich would tap out the rhythm to "Stars and Stripes Forever" on his drum. His performances as "Traps" continued through the 1920s; he went on an Australian tour in 1924 and appeared in a short film, Buddy Traps in Sound Effects, in 1929. His nickname, "Buddy," evolved from "Pal," his parents' pet name for him. By the time Rich was 15, he was earning $1,000 a week and was the highest paid child star next to Jackie Coogan, the actor most famous for his role in Charlie Chaplin's 1920 film The Kid.

Rich became interested in jazz drumming while he was still in his teens. For a brief period in 1932, he had his own band, Buddy "Traps" Rich and His Orchestra. He frequented the Crystal Club in Brooklyn, admiring the drumming of Tony Briglia, who played in the Casa Loma Orchestra. In 1937 Artie Shapiro, a bassist who performed at the Crystal Club, suggested that Rich sit in on drums during the Sunday jam sessions that were held at the Hickory House, a club that featured the band of Joe Marsala. Rich waited for his chance for three consecutive Sundays, and on the fourth, finally got an opportunity to play. Marsala was impressed, and asked him to join the band. But Marsala's Dixieland style was not to Rich's taste, and he left after a short time.

Rich had a brief stint in Bunny Berigan's band in mid-1938 but in December of that year joined Artie Shaw's orchestra. By this time, big bands were the musical phenomenon in the United States, and Shaw's was one of the best. Rich's playing made the band swing as it never had before. The Shaw orchestra appeared on a weekly radio show, Melody and Madness, and in the feature film Dancing Co-ed, with Hollywood star Lana Turner.

Rich was hired by bandleader Tommy Dorsey in 1939. Dorsey's band was phenomenally popular and featured a young singer named Frank Sinatra. Rich and Sinatra roomed together on tours, and because they both had strong personalities, they often clashed with each other. In addition, several critics have suggested that Rich was bored by the inordinate number of ballads the Dorsey band played--ballads often sung by Sinatra--and most likely resented the attention that was heaped on Sinatra by his adoring fans. Regardless of their rocky relationship, they respected each other's musical talents.

In 1942, the year after the United States became involved in World War II, Rich left the Dorsey band and enlisted in the Marines. He never saw active duty and in 1944 was discharged for medical reasons. He rejoined Dorsey in 1944, becoming the highest paid sideman in the business. During the 1940s, motion pictures featuring big bands were the rage, and the Dorsey orchestra performed in several, including Ship Ahoy in 1941, Cole Porter's musical DuBarry Was a Lady in 1942, Presenting Lily Mars with Judy Garland, also in 1942, and Thrill of a Romance, starring Esther Williams, released two years later.

Rich started his own band in 1946, receiving $50,000 in backing from Sinatra. "In two years, I was flat broke," Rich told jazz critic Whitney Balliett in a New Yorker article that became part of Balliett's book American Musicians: 56 Portraits in Jazz. "But [the band] went down swinging and it went down in one piece." He formed another unsuccessful band in 1950, and in between performed with Norman Granz's "Jazz at the Philharmonic" (JATP) tours. The JATP performances were famous for their drum "battles," in which one drummer tried to outshine the other, and Rich took part in many of these, often emerging as the "winner."

Rich's playing displayed an astounding capacity for endurance and velocity, and his ability to get around the drums quickly and with minimal effort was amazing. Rich claimed that he never practiced-- apparently believing that practicing squelched spontaneity. "I've never had a lesson in my life, and I never practice," he told Balliett. "That way each night is an expectation, a new experience for me."

In addition to his percussive gifts, Rich was also a rather good singer who performed ballads and up-tempo numbers in a style similar to Sinatra's. In 1957, he made an album, Buddy Rich Just Sings, but never pursued his singing career very doggedly, since his obvious talents lay elsewhere.

Rich's dynamic approach to playing reflected his lifestyle and personality. He drove himself as hard as he drove his players, and many an alumnus of Rich's bands has a story to tell about Rich's violent temper. A close friend, Mel Torme, talked to the drummer's surviving siblings while doing research for the biography Traps, the Drum Wonder. Torme discovered that Rich had been beaten as a child by his father; Rich's sisters and brother believed that this "harsh treatment of their brother molded and shaped him into the sometimes difficult man he became later in life," according to Torme. Rich himself freely admitted to Balliett: "I have the worst temper in the world. When I lose it, oh baby."

Rich married showgirl and dancer Marie Allison in 1952, and the couple had a daughter, Cathy, in 1954. He performed with various ensembles in the 1950s and early 1960s, and in 1966 formed a new big band of his own. From this time on, Rich led his own bands. These groups--which featured young, unknown players--performed largely at colleges and universities, and Rich won over an entirely new generation of jazz listeners. Rich's friend Johnny Carson invited him on the Tonight Show frequently, and the drummer became familiar to television audiences not only as a phenomenal musician, but as a witty and engaging personality.

Rich, who suffered from a heart condition for many years, died of heart failure in Los Angeles in 1987 after undergoing surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Sinatra gave the eulogy at his funeral, and many other show business figures, including Johnny Carson, Jerry Lewis, Artie Shaw, and Robert Blake, also paid tribute to him. In 1988 Rich's daughter, Cathy, established the Buddy Rich Memorial Brain Tumor Research Foundation at the UCLA Medical Center and started a scholarship fund in his name. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., acquired Rich's drums in 1989.

Buddy Rich's Career

Performed in parents' vaudeville act, beginning 1919; toured United States and Australia, beginning at age 6; led own stage band, 1932; played drums with several big bands in 1930s and 1940s, including those of Joe Marsala, 1937, Bunny Berigan, 1938, Artie Shaw, 1938, Tommy Dorsey, 1939-42 and 1944-45, and Harry James, on and off from 1953-66; led own big bands, 1946-48, 1950, and 1966-87; performed with Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1950s and 1960s; opened own clubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II in Manhattan, 1974-75. Appeared with various bands in several motion pictures, including Buddy Traps in Sound Effects, 1929, Dancing Co-ed, 1938, Ship Ahoy, 1941, DuBarry Was a Lady, 1942, Presenting Lily Mars, 1942, How's About It?, 1942, Thrill of a Romance, 1944, Thrills of Music, 1948, Harry James and His Music Makers, 1953, and Melodies by Martin, 1955.

Source: http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608000243/Buddy-Rich.html

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BIOGRAPHY

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.

Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, "Traps the Drum Wonder." With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world.

Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House. By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 1940s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943).

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.

Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, audiences were entertained by Rich's constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers.

This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley. During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the King of Thailand, King Hussein of Jordan the Queen of England, and U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Longtime friend, Frank Sinatra, spoke a touching eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was "The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."

Source: http://www.buddyrich.com/about/bio.html