No one was a better drummer than Buddy. Some guys may play 50 piece kits but Buddy was great with the bare bones. Thanks for posting this. I can never get enough of the greats.
Buddy died April 2, 1987. He was great right to the end. Here are the details...........Death Rich toured and performed until the end of his life. In early March 1987, he was touring in New York when he was hospitalized after suffering a paralysis on his left side that physicians believed had been caused by a stroke. He was transferred to California to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles for tests, where doctors discovered and removed a brain tumor on March 16. He was discharged a week later, but continued to receive daily chemotherapy treatments at the hospital. On April 2, 1987, he died of unexpected respiratory and cardiac failure after a treatment related to the malignant brain tumor.[40] His wife Marie and daughter Cathy buried him in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[41] He was 69.
2005, I had the pleasure of sitting at the same table at a comedy club with Mundell Lowe and his wife Betty Bennett. When he heard I was a drummer and huge BR fan, he sent me this on a VHS tape. Buddy, Mundell, Betty. Superstars. RIP.
This television show was excellent. Played better than any other drummer at age 69. Simply amazing. I wish there was footage of him playing live with Jazz at the Philharmonic in the 50’s. I don’t know if such a thing exists. Thanks for posting.
Roger Hn unfortunately there are only a few short clips of JATP in the 50s and none of Buddy that I can think of. There have been rumors that Norman Granz had videotaped some of the concerts but none has ever surfaced.
I saw BR perform at Kenyon College around this time. He said it was the best performance he had ever given. Blissfully, it went on and on ...! I even remember him ordering a reclining audience member to "get your feet off my stage!"
Nobody ever went at and devoured Opus No. 1 like BR did on drums and I've never seen or heard another drummer kick the age old Sy Oliver classic like HE did here 46 years after playing on the original record in 1944. He's playing the whole arrangement on the drum set kicking all the horns from memory and he probably hadn't played the chart in over 40 years when this show was recorded. Ask any horn player what it's like having an exceptional drummer in a big band goosing the horns on every 'hit' and swinging his tail off like this and they will tell you It's like something sent from above. From the triplets on the intro going off like gunshots all the way to the last note Buddy is freaking UNREAL.
Did anybody even noticed Mel Tormé playing the hell out of the drums? He was really really grooving it. Not a solo situation here, but he was really laying it down strong and sure.
Not really. This was a tribute to/celebration of Tommy Dorsey. It was nostalgia. Buddy rarely played old songs with his band. He kept moving forward, adding and adapting modern styles to his band. His own band only had vocals when he had his daughter sing a song every now and then. And he never, ever wanted people dancing. I saw him multiple times in the 80's, and at a point when a lot of surviving Big Band leaders were playing the nostalgia card and playing 40's dance music, Buddy made sure there were seats on the dance floor so no one could dance. He always wanted people to pay attention to what the band was playing, and how they were playing it!
Miss you Buddy Rich. you will never die.i am Dwight McQueen The Black Buddy Rich.To Family and friends! Please join me on RUclips under the name black Buddy Rich 😁😂😂😂😂
It's the original composition / arrangement of Opus No. 1 that Sy Oliver wrote for TD and TD recorded in 1944/45 with Buddy on Drums. ... and no other drummer has ever kicked the chart along like Buddy did way back then or in 1987 on this, (the way it should be), either.
I couldn't agree with you more. I always wondered how this guy was famous. My late father REALLY hated him, especially when he would scat sing. My father would completely loose his mind.
There are many very good drummers worldwide, but Buddy was and is the best ever!
No one was a better drummer than Buddy. Some guys may play 50 piece kits but Buddy was great with the bare bones. Thanks for posting this. I can never get enough of the greats.
Saw buddy a short time before he died it was in Nottingham. Managed to get his autograph on an LP. Boy was he great even at his age. Simply the best.
there will never be another time in America like this.
didn't realise Buddy had lost weight at that time, the greatest drummer to the end, right there. thank you for the post
Buddy died April 2, 1987. He was great right to the end. Here are the details...........Death
Rich toured and performed until the end of his life. In early March 1987, he was touring in New York when he was hospitalized after suffering a paralysis on his left side that physicians believed had been caused by a stroke. He was transferred to California to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles for tests, where doctors discovered and removed a brain tumor on March 16. He was discharged a week later, but continued to receive daily chemotherapy treatments at the hospital. On April 2, 1987, he died of unexpected respiratory and cardiac failure after a treatment related to the malignant brain tumor.[40] His wife Marie and daughter Cathy buried him in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[41] He was 69.
sadly, likely due to his cancer.
2005, I had the pleasure of sitting at the same table at a comedy club with Mundell Lowe and his wife Betty Bennett. When he heard I was a drummer and huge BR fan, he sent me this on a VHS tape. Buddy, Mundell, Betty. Superstars. RIP.
This television show was excellent. Played better than any other drummer at age 69. Simply amazing.
I wish there was footage of him playing live with Jazz at the Philharmonic in the 50’s. I don’t know if such a thing exists. Thanks for posting.
Roger Hn unfortunately there are only a few short clips of JATP in the 50s and none of Buddy that I can think of. There have been rumors that Norman Granz had videotaped some of the concerts but none has ever surfaced.
Buddy was the best ...thanks for this ❤️
Thanks for putting this up, I remember watching it when it aired!
Fantastic listening
I watched it too. Thanks for the post. Buddy sings.
I saw BR perform at Kenyon College around this time. He said it was the best performance he had ever given. Blissfully, it went on and on ...! I even remember him ordering a reclining audience member to "get your feet off my stage!"
I saw Buddy in 1980, London. Incredible
Thanks for posting the entire show!!!
MARVELOUS!
Nobody ever went at and devoured Opus No. 1 like BR did on drums and I've never seen or heard another drummer kick the age old Sy Oliver classic like HE did here 46 years after playing on the original record in 1944. He's playing the whole arrangement on the drum set kicking all the horns from memory and he probably hadn't played the chart in over 40 years when this show was recorded. Ask any horn player what it's like having an exceptional drummer in a big band goosing the horns on every 'hit' and swinging his tail off like this and they will tell you It's like something sent from above. From the triplets on the intro going off like gunshots all the way to the last note Buddy is freaking UNREAL.
RIP Buddy
Also note west coast sax man, singer and actor Med Flory in the singing group.
Did anybody even noticed Mel Tormé playing the hell out of the drums? He was really really grooving it. Not a solo situation here, but he was really laying it down strong and sure.
In addition to Buddy Rich, Buddy Morrow had one of the best bands on the road at this time. Always polished and swung like crazy.
Dancing buddy!
The Only
Buddy thought conductors were a joke, he hated when people danced when he played, and preferred bands without singers...boy did he change!
Not really. This was a tribute to/celebration of Tommy Dorsey. It was nostalgia. Buddy rarely played old songs with his band. He kept moving forward, adding and adapting modern styles to his band. His own band only had vocals when he had his daughter sing a song every now and then. And he never, ever wanted people dancing. I saw him multiple times in the 80's, and at a point when a lot of surviving Big Band leaders were playing the nostalgia card and playing 40's dance music, Buddy made sure there were seats on the dance floor so no one could dance. He always wanted people to pay attention to what the band was playing, and how they were playing it!
But the music that big bands played was for dancing, it wasn't a symphony hall repertoire.
Where can i find Maureen McGovern's portion of this program?
@Drummer J.L.H. .... I would like to find the whole show. I think Jack Jones was there also. Maybe a PBS Special.
...Let me know when you find more of Maureen McGovern and music of the Big Band era.
Great doesn't complete Buddies description.
Amazing. The only thing that could slow Buddy down was death! Fantastic to the all too early end.
Miss you Buddy Rich. you will never die.i am Dwight McQueen The Black Buddy Rich.To Family and friends! Please join me on RUclips under the name black Buddy Rich 😁😂😂😂😂
What's the first song they played?
Opus One
It's the original composition / arrangement of Opus No. 1 that Sy Oliver wrote for TD and TD recorded in 1944/45 with Buddy on Drums.
... and no other drummer has ever kicked the chart along like Buddy did way back then or in 1987 on this, (the way it should be), either.
Nobody defined uncool and lame more than Mel torme
Mel was great. RIP.
I couldn't agree with you more. I always wondered how this guy was famous. My late father REALLY hated him, especially when he would scat sing. My father would completely loose his mind.
Buddy is sick and dying here. He looks awful. Hard to watch
Is this not the last gig he did? It was either this one or the one where he played the West Side Story tune on the Frank Sinatra special.
At 17 mins he was swinging the living shit out of it!
Doesn’t look like a dying duck to me - he was playing his freakin’ ass off!