Customer Reviews

Buddy Rich Live At The 1982 Montreal Jazz Festival (includes Bonus CD)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
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Any drummer who wants to learn great technique or merely enjoy great drumming will appreciate this video. It showcases Buddy's technique across a full spectrum of sets, including brushwork on "Brushstokes".

One of the highlights of this DVD is a bonus sequence of "Green Dolphin Street" (from 1972) that has one of Buddy's classic solos. This sequence alone makes the DVD worth getting. An added bonus is the included soundtrack on CD that comes with the DVD.

For the drummer wanting to learn a few tricks this is one of the best viedos of Buddy because there is ample camera exposure on his playing. It's one thing to listen, but when you can see and listen it's a powerful combination for learning technique - and this video does just that.

Tracks include Hookin' It, Brush Strokes, If They Could See Me Now, Good News, West Side Story Medley, Carioca, Time Check, Green Dolphin Street.

If you are a Buddy Rich fan I also recommend getting the CD "Buddy Rich Collection" ASIN B00000DB1H, which is a remake of a 2-record set circa 1971.

I was originally going to give this four stars, with maybe a half knocked off because some of the band's arrangements were a bit ponderous and the video, which if clean and with good resolution, might be a tad better. But what the hell, forget all that stuff and just watch and listen to perhaps the greatest jazz drummer of all time at the height of his powers driving a band that looks just barely out of high school. It's hard to believe that the guy was 65 and only had five more years to live, getting cut down unexpectedly by a brain tumor. What knocked me over here is not the overall power of Buddy's drumming, but its delicacy (particularly some stunning brush work), which some superb camera work caught beautifully. And,yes, the sound is absolutely first rate.

I've mentioned that some of the arrangements seem a bit ponderous. Like Stan Kenton, who also kept a big band going during this period, there's a tendency towards a rock beat that is great on rhythm (good thing for a drummer!) and ensemble playing, and sometimes weak on melody line, what with lots of pieces all sounding somewhat alike. Fortunately, this album balances some of this with terrific swinging pieces, including Buddy's somewhat signature West Side Story one, and a terrific Carioca. And, the bonus of a much earlier Green Dolphin Street captures one incredible bit of drumming.

Buddy Rich was an original. This dvd (which I saw as demonstration for VHS over 20 years ago) is a big band treasure and Hudson is to be congratulated for bringing it out. I'm hoping that someone can find the tape of a PBS Tommy Dorsey special from about 18 years ago which featured Buddy, Mel Torme, Maureen McGovern, Buddy Morrow and Jack Jones. Buddy was at his best in one of his very last performances, and we got a hint of his work with one of the greatest of all big bands.

Neil Peart, in his liner notes for the tribute "Burning for Buddy," quotes the influence of the man as thus: "genius is the fire that lights itself." I used this quote to describe Stanley Kubrick in my review of his DVD collection, and fittingly so, it accurately summarizes the talent of undoubtedly the greatest, most influential drummer of the 20th century. Being a percussionist myself for 28 years, it never ceases to amaze me the fluidity and effortless motions Buddy created with a simple, 4-piece kit, from the crossover techniques and double bass patterns on a single foot pedal, to the infamous "whipped cream roll," a lick that he learned from the New Orleans jazz cats of the '30s and '40s. Truly it is a joy and a sight to behold when this man sat behind the set and made magic.

I had the good fortune to witness one of his final performances in Orlando at the Lake Eola Jazz Festival in 1986, and was summarily disappointed, in getting within 15 feet of him at the end of the show, by his arrogance and bitter attitude towards his musicians and the general public. Most misunderstood geniuses tend to be left to their own devices in person, so I guess it's no shock to discover the perfectionist in him that unleashed its wrath that day. Nevertheless, no one can deny his greatness on the skins, and the signature show at the Montreal Jazz festival affirms this. the "Channel One Suite" will always be tied to his legacy, and he treats it on this night with precision and grace. Steve Marcus and the band are in top form as usual, yet they seem forced to give up the spots to Buddy when directed. Ah, the trials of being a sideman; the star always shines brightest on the one whose name signs the checks.

I hope to see the vaults opened up one day and a comprehensive disc put together of Buddy's numerous appearances on the Tonight Show, with Ed Shaugnessy (himself a drumming legend) just sitting in the background smiling and soaking it up. Until then, we'll just have to settle for gems like this. A must for anyone who appreciates a singular musician who created a revoultion for his instrument.

This was the first time I'd seen Buddy Rich play the drums, sadly, 17 years after his death.

The man was just remarkable. What blinding speed and dexterity. Truly, he was from another world when it came to playing drums.

He was 65 years old when this concert took place! Amazing.

If you think that you can top buddy rich you're dead wrong!!! i've been a fan of buddy for a long time, and it doesnt get much better than this! his blinding speed combined with the BEST horn section to ever grace the music world makes this a MUST HAVE!!! not to mention that you get a cd of this concert. GET IT NOW!!!!

The opening chart "Hookin' It" with Andy Fusco's great alto sax solo gives you a good idea of what's to come. Great brass section work closing it out.

The following "Brush Strokes" shows Buddy's mastery of the brushes, and quiets the critics who thought he couldn't play anything but loud drum solos. Great technical work on the brushes.

Andy Fusco is showcased on the chart "If You Could See Me Now." I believe Andy was the best alto player Rich had in all the years of his big band. Even more exciting than Richie Cole, whom I thought was the best at the time of "Keep The Customer Satisfied." The song starts out as the usual ballad, but switches gears in the middle, and once again shows off Andy's great improvisational prowess. Then the song shifts back to the slower tempo to finish off another great Fusco performance.

Bob Mintzer's "Good News" is a great 3-part suite that'll blow you away with the great opening, leading to a fantastic Steve Marcus solo cadenza. Then moving to a fast tempo for Buddy's solo. As noted, the trumpets missed the queue towards the end of Buddy's solo, and you'll notice he wasn't too pleased with it. But you'll also notice that the trumpets were grooving on his solo so much, which is why they missed the queue. Dave Stahl lends some great high note moments.

"West Side Story" will give you a short but sweet glimpse of the improvisational skills of Walt Weiskopf who handles the tenor solo (He would later play with Steely Dan, and on his own CD's-check him out). Of course, the Master Drummer does his thing, and the trumpets don't miss the queue this time.

Don Menza's "Time Check," always one of the most played and requested numbers by the Rich Band (Groovin' Hard being one of the others) is played at one of the fastest tempos I'd heard or seen this band play. Steve Marcus again shows why he was such a great soloist with this band. The sax soli is played super-fast, and Marcus has very little time from the end of his solo into the sax soli to catch his breath. But what a fantastic job by the entire band to take them out and close the show.

I was a drummer for 55 years love every minutes of it Buddy Rich was my idol all my life.
Son and grandson play drums

if you like drummers buddy rich is the top at his game.he does magic with those sticks.

This is another great DVD of the Great Buddy Rich and his big band. The number selection is very good showing a leader at his best. Some reviewers think that all Buddy does is do solos, but not true. He drives his bands to near perfection. I recommend this DVD to all Buddy Rich fans.