Customer Reviews

No Funny Hats

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No Funny Hats is Buddy and the band at their best. For music alone this album is a solid five stars. For packaging and (lack of) content, I'd have to knock off one star. For starters, Grand Concourse by Bob Kaye is the full version, when it was first in the book. The rock section in the middle, while not the most interesting part, was later pulled to make a more cohesive medium swing chart. From a collector's standpoint, it's invaluable that Grand Concourse is available here in it's full incarnation! Ditto for Slow Funk. The ending was later shortened and some of the band backgrounds during the solo were taken out, and it's glorious to hear the whole chart here. Want to turn someone on to BR who may be "anti-jazz"? Play them Slow Funk and you've just converted them!

Excellent recordings of Bugle Call, West Side, Rhoda Rat, and Someday My Prince. For BR fans, this album is a treasure of what we all knew was the best of Buddy - when he was playing live! It would be great to have recordings like this available that showcase the entire book. Cathy could probably release soundboard tapes from the mid 70's to mid 80's Buddy Rich Band every week for the next year and it wouldn't get old!

BUT... ...the cd is too short. Even adding one more chart would have not only made this a better buy, but it would have felt like a full set of music. Please get some new pictures of Buddy to put on covers. We've all seen the Slingerland PR shot a thousand times, and some new pictures from the same time frame as the album(he wasn't even playing Slingerland for this recording), would be appreciated. However, that's a small 'but' for a great release. GET IT. NOW! And Cathy, please keep the albums coming!

This cd is one of the best by Buddy Rich and his Big Band, and that really says it all.

The soundquality is really good and you can hear absolute everything, crystal-clear. I think this cd displays how an actual concert with Buddy was like, and therefore it's definitely worth a listen. Highlights are: Bugle Call Rag, Slow Funk and West Side Story Suite (which contains, in my opinion, one of the best solos ever done by Buddy; he's adventurous and plays some unbelievable, rudimental snaredrum stuff). Awesome phrasing, breathtaking.

A great addition to your collection.

I agree with the previous reviewer. I was going to say the same things about it but he beat me to it. The album is like being there and the quality is A-1. I recommend this cd to all Buddy Rich fans. Its a must have cd!

I agree that this album is as close to being there as you can get! I have an additional comment the version of tales of Rhoda rat written by bob mintzer is the prettiest version I have heard and I have heard a few versions of it, this one is a standout the late great Steve Marcus plays one of the greatest sax solos of his career on this it's just great, it really reminds me of the Buddy concerts I used to attend you can actually feel the excitement in his performance and in the audience it's really electric it really took me back to those days. not only is buddy in top form here but it seems the whole band is in top form as well, I love it! you will too

Did anyone beside me notice that "Tales Of Rhoda Rat" is indeed Don Menza's "Time Out?" I have the original LP "Buddy Rich Plays and Plays" and this song is Menza's Time Out and not Mintzer's Tales of Rhoda Rat - As Mintzer's composition features a fast tempo in the style of "Two-Bass Hit" with no tempo changes.

Other than that, Bob Kaye's composition; "Grand Concourse" featuring the alto sax of Andy Fusco is great. But please give a listen (and watch) to the Buddy Rich 1978 DVD Jazz Icons - Andy Fusco really blows a fantastic solo throughout.

I also enjoyed Gary Pribek's tenor solo on "West Side Story", and of course, the Master; Buddy's extended solo. Bob Kaye'e piano is showcased on "Someday My Prince Will Come." Lots of screeching trumpets on "Bugle Call Rag" with Buddy's cool solo.

I will second Markhus's comment about Rich's solo in the West Side Story Suite. I came across this recording in my college radio station music library, and I felt that, with that solo, I entered a whole new realm even for Buddy Rich himself. Today I was listening to some (different) Rich material and I couldn't stop thinking about that particular solo on this record, which is how I found myself window-shopping on Amazon here (so to speak). The whole thing is great, not just that particular solo, by the way...

Also, the intro comment(ary) by Rich is pretty cool. You can hear the whole thing with the preview feature. Note also that the preview offered by Amazon for the West Side Story Suite does not, in my opinion, showcase a particular stand-alone highlight.