Big Band Jazz Drummer Buddy Rich

Buddy Rich

Source: VK

Born on 30 September 1917 in Brooklyn, Buddy Rich was a remarkable drummer who was twelve years old when he danced, played drums and sang vocals as Buddy Traps for the 1930 short film, 'Sound Effects'. It would be another seven or eight years before he visited his first recording studio. Tom Lord's jazzography references Saga Jazz 066542-2 for 'Sound Effects' below, which I've not found online.

'Sound Effects'   Buddy Rich at age 12 as Buddy Traps

From Vitaphone reel 949 w missing film   Late 1929 in NYC

Including 'Stars and Stripes Forever' / 'Bashful Baby'

Library of Congress

We begin this presentation of Rich with a mystery. Burt Korall's 'Drummin' Men' of 1990 has Rich recording the swing tune, 'Bei Mir Bist Du Schön', with the Andrews Sisters and the Vic Schoen Orchestra in 1937. That would have been matrix 62811 on 24 November toward Decca 1562. Some few roll with this claim [Black Cat Bone / David Johnson], but it is drummer, Stan King (1900-49), printed on the label. One would think that if Rich contributed to that rendition it would be mentioned in Tom Lord's jazzography, especially as such would have been an historic event. Nor is Buddy's participation corroborated by any other discography in which you'd think there would be at least a mention. DAHR and Discogs in particular have had above thirty years since 1990 to confirm that Rich is a suspected drummer or participant in any capacity at all, but both stick to King. Though I tend to more believe that Korall was somehow confused or made a typo in 'Drummen' Men', I've embedded the Andrews Sisters version below in the unlikely event that he knew something that no one else has figured in all this time.

'Bei Mir Bist du Schön'   Probably not Buddy Rich w the Andrews Sisters

Yiddish for 'To Me You're Beautiful'

24 Nov 1937   Matrix 62811   Decca 1562

Vic Schoen Orchestra

Cornet: Bobby Hackett   Trumpet: Vic Schoen   Trombone: Al Philburn

Alto sax: Don Watt   Piano: Frank Froeba   Guitar: Dave Barbour

Bass: Haig Stephens   Drums: Stan King

Andrews Sisters: Patty / LaVerne / Maxine

Music: Sholom Secunda   Lyrics: Jacob Jacobs   For the 1932 musical 'I Would If I Could'

Tom Lord otherwise commences Rich's recording career with Adrian Rollini, drumming up 'Bill', 'Singin' the Blues' and 'The Sweetest Story Ever Told'' on 7 January 1938. 'Bei Mir Bist Du Shon' was the first of several titles gone down during their next session eleven days later on 18 January. Bobby Hackett contributed cornet to both of those sessions, as he would to Rich's next and third on 1 March 1938 with Maxine Sullivan and the Claude Thornhill Orchestra to put away 'Moments Like This', "Please Be Kind', 'It Was a Lover and His Lass' and 'Dark Eyes'. Buddy's fourth session arrived on 16 March with Joe Marsala's Chicagoans toward 'Mighty Like the Blues', 'Woo Woo', 'Hot String Beans' and 'Jim Jam Stomp'.

'The Sweetest Story Ever Told'   Buddy Rich w Adrian Rollini

7 Jan 1938   Matrix 63140-A   Decca 1973

Trumpet: Johnny McGhee   Clarinet: Paul Ricc   Bass sax: Adrian Rollini

Violin: Al Duffy   Piano: Jack Russin   Guitar: Frank Victor

Bass: Harry Clark   Drums: Buddy Rich   Vocal: Pat Hoke

Composition: Robert Morrison Stults

'Bei Mir Bist du Schön'   Buddy Rich w Adrian Rollini

18 Jan 1938   Matrix 63174-A   Decca 1638

Cornet: Bobby Hackett   Vibes: Adrian Rollini

Guitar: Frank Victor   Bass: Harry Clark   Drums: Buddy Rich   Vocal: Sonny Schuyler

Music: Sholom Secunda   Lyrics: Jacob Jacobs   For the 1932 musical 'I Would If I Could'

Come Bunny Berigan on September 13 of 1938 to lay out such as 'High Society' among other titles. Another of Rich's most important associations was Artie Shaw, with whom he may have initially recorded on December 25, 1938, for the Old Gold 'Melody and Madness' radio series #6 including 'Shine On, Harvest Moon', 'Deep In a Dream', 'Jeepers Creepers' and 'Hold Your Hat'. Tom Lord's jazzography notes that may be arguable, also placing Shaw without Rich on the same date at the Paul Whiteman Christmas Concert, backing him on 'The Blues'. Among other guest performers, that was Louis Armstrong's first at Carnegie. Be as may, Lord lists further sessions of Rich with Shaw in late December and early January of 1939. Rich recorded with Shaw numerously into 1944.

'Carioca'   Buddy Rich w Artie Shaw

3 Jan 1939   NBC radio broadcast from the Blue Room at Hotel Lincoln in NYC

See 'Artie Shaw On the Air' Aircheck 11 / 1974

Music: Vincent Youmans   Lyrics: Edward Eliscu / Gus Kahn   1933

It was November 24, 1939, when Rich joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in Chicago toward 'Careless', 'Darn That Dream', 'Faithful to You' and 'Losers Weepers'. Dorsey was Rich's main vehicle at the height of his career, recording innumerable tracks with his orchestra into 1955. Another prominent name with whom Rich worked was trumpeter, Harry James, they first recording together in 1941 in the Metronome All Stars: 'Bugle Call' and 'One O'Clock Jump'. Rich would back James again during a radio broadcast in New York City in 1953 on 'You'll Never Know' and 'Two O'Clock Jump'. He then recorded strongly with James from 1962 into 1966.

'Devil's Holiday'   Buddy Rich w Tommy Dorsey

5 June 1940   NBC radio broadcast of 'Carnival de Broadway' from the Astor Hotel in NYC

Composition: Benny Carter

'Symphony in Riffs'   Buddy Rich w Tommy Dorsey

14 Aug 1940   NBC radio broadcast of 'Carnival de Broadway' from the Astor Hotel in NYC

Trumpet: Bunny Berigan / Ray Linn / Jimmy Blake / Leon Debrow or Clyde Hurley

Trombone: Tommy Dorsey / George Arus / Les Jenkins / Lowell Martin

Alto sax: Johnny Mince (clarinet) / Freddie Stulce (baritone sax)

Tenor sax: Don Lodice / Paul Mason

Piano: Joe Bushkin   Guitar: Clark Yokum

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Benny Carter

See Mr. Trumpet

'Bugle Call'   Buddy Rich w the Metronome All Stars

16 Jan 1941   Matrix 0A60331-1   Victor 27314 A

Trumpet: Harry James / Ziggy Elman / Cootie Williams

Trombone: Tommy Dorsey / J.C. Higginbotham   Clarinet: Benny Goodman

Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Benny Carter

Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins / Tex Beneke

Piano: Count Basie   Guitar: Charlie Christian

Bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Jack Pettis / Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel   1932

'One O'Clock Jump'   Buddy Rich w the Metronome All Stars

16 Jan 1941   Matrix 0A60332-1   Victor 27314 B

Trumpet: Harry James / Ziggy Elman / Cootie Williams

Trombone: Tommy Dorsey / J.C. Higginbotham   Clarinet: Benny Goodman

Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Benny Carter

Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins / Tex Beneke

Piano: Count Basie   Guitar: Charlie Christian

Bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Count Basie   1937

'I'll Take Tallulah'   Buddy Rich w Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Sometime 15-29 Dec 1941 toward the film 'Ship Ahoy' released May 1942

Directed by Edward Buzzell   Tap dancing by Eleanor Powell

Music: Burton Lane   Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg

IMDb   Wikipedia

'Katie Went to Haiti'   Buddy Rich w Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Sometime 9 Sep-17 Oct 1942 toward the film 'Du Barry Was a Lady' released 19 Aug 1943

Directed by Roy Del Ruth   Vocals: The Pied Pipers featuring Dick Haymes / Jo Stafford

Composition: Cole Porter

IMDb   Wikipedia

Rich became a Marine during World War II. He never saw conflict and was officially discharged in 1944 for reasons of health. Lord lists Rich's last recording with Dorsey in early 1943 for the film, 'Girl Crazy', before entering the military. He returned to Dorsey's band in time for a radio broadcast on 18 June of 1944 for NBC's 'All Time Hit Parade' in Hollywood, V-Disc to issue 'Small Fry', 'Pennies from Heaven' and 'Somebody loves Me' from that.

'Boogie Woogie'   Buddy Rich w Tommy Dorsey

30 July 1944   NBC radio broadcast of 'All Time Hit Parade' from Hollywood

Composition: Clarence Pinetop Smith

See Hep 39 / Jass JCD14

Drum solo by Buddy Rich w the Tommy Dorsey Combo

From the film 'Thrill of a Romance' released 12 Nov 1945

Directed by Richard Thorpe   Clarinet: Buddy DeFranco   Piano: Michael Dodo Marmarosa

IMDb   Wikipedia

Rich was also an intent bandleader, his first session as such on December 24, 1945, for the 'AFRS Spotlight Bands' radio series #785 (AFRS = Armed Forces Radio Service). The 'Coca Cola Theme' was one of those tracks. Rich's titles for AFRS were made available in 1979 on an album titled 'A Young Man and His Dreams' (minus the Coca Cola theme).

'Burn' / 'Not So Quiet Please'   The Buddy Rich Big Band

Short film by Universal sometime 1948

Vibes: Terry Gibbs   Drums: Buddy Rich

Drum solo by Buddy Rich

From the Universal short film 'Melodies by Martin'   Aug 1955

'Buddy Rich's Explosion'   Drum solo by Buddy Rich w Jazz At The Philharmonic

2 Oct 1955 at the Chicago Opera House   Matrix 11,647

Trumpet:  Dizzy Gillespie / Roy Eldridge

Tenor sax: Lester Young / Flip Phillips / Illinois Jacquet

Piano: Oscar Peterson   Guitar: Herb Ellis

Bass: Ray Brown   Drums: Buddy Rich

'A Night in Tunisia'   Buddy Rich Septet

7 or 8 April 1960 in NYC

Trumpet:  Markie Markowitz   Trombone: Willie Dennis

Tenor sax: Seldon Powell

Piano: Dave McKenna   Vibes: Mike Mainieri

Bass: Earl May   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Dizzy Gillespie c 1941

'Drum Solo Battle'   Buddy Rich w Jerry Lewis   Television   1965

'Norwegian Wood'   Buddy Rich   Television

'Mike Douglas Show' sometime 1967

Composition: John Lennon / Paul McCartney   1965

Drum solo by Buddy Rich   Television   Unknown venue 1970

Drum solo by Buddy Rich   Television   Paris sometime 1971

'Dancing Men'   Buddy Rich and His Orchestra

Sometime 1972 at Ronnie Scott's Club in London

Trumpet: Jeff Stout / John DeFlon / Lin Biviano / Wayne Naus

Trombone: Bruce Paulson / Tony DiMaggio / John Keys (bass)

Reeds / flute: Brian A. Grivna / Jimmy Mosher / Joe Calo / Don Englert / Pat LaBarbera

Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins / Tex Beneke

Piano: Bob Dogan   Bass: Paul Kondziela   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: John La Barbera

Drum solo by Buddy Rich   Television   'Tonight Show' w Johnny Carson   1976

'Drum Duet' by Buddy Rich w Ed Shaughnessy    Television

'Tonight Show' w Johnny Carson   11 Aug 1978

Rich was known for a passionate temper, becoming frustrated by the high standards that he set for his operation. From January 1983 to January 1985 Rich's pianist, Lee Musiker, secretly recorded a number of Rich's tantrums on touring buses or backstage. See The Buddy Tapes at Milkowski / SaxOnTheWeb.

Buddy Tapes of 1983   Buddy Rich

Explosion that he was, Rich performed nigh to his dying day. Lord traces him to as late as Grendal's Lair in Philadelphia on December 8, 1986, leading off with 'Wind Machine'.

'Just in Time'   Buddy Rich Big Band   Television

1 Sep 1986    Jerry Lewis 'MDA Telethon'

Trumpet: Eric Myrashiro / Greg Gilbert

Alto sax: Bob Bowlby   Piano: Matt Harris (arrangement)   Drums: Buddy Rich

Music: Jule Styne   Lyrics: Betty Comden / Adolph Green

'Winding Way'   Buddy Rich Big Band

Last known recording session 8 Dec 1986 at Grendals Lair in Philadelphia

Trumpet: Eric Miyashiro / Greg Gilbert / Jay Watson / Kevin Richardson

Trombone: James Martin / Sigfreid Trager / Thomas Garling

Soprano sax: Steve Marcus   Alto sax: Bob Bowly / Mike Rubino

Tenor sax: Chris Bacas / Steve Marcus   Baritone sax: Jay Craig

Piano: Matt Harris   Bass: Brock Answer   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Matt Harris

See 'Buddy Rich Big Band' Jazz Band EBCD 2126-2 / 1995

Rich passed away on April 2, 1987, of heart failure following an operation for a brain tumor [obit]. Rich's favored drum sets were made by Slingerland and Ludwig-Musser. 'Rolling Stone' has Rich currently listed at #7 on its 100 Greatest Drummers list (up from #15 ten years ago).