Home » Jazz Articles » Film Review » Buddy Rich and his Band: The Lost Tapes

301

Buddy Rich and his Band: The Lost Tapes

By

View read count
Buddy Rich
The Lost Tapes
Light Year Entertainment
2005

The hyperbole about Buddy Rich can get pretty deep. He's commonly referred to as the best drummer ever. This is much like granting Sinatra King of Crooners status - for many this brash supremism is based on a standard of style and sensibility we don't find so pretty. It's like saying the steamroller is the greatest wheeled vehicle of all time. That's true maybe, if what you value most is the ability to flatten things. Buddy Rich was a steamroller and is reputed to have rolled over more than a couple of his bandmembers, but that's neither here nor there. If you're looking for a visual document of this locomotive of a drummer in his late prime, The Lost Tapes should do you nicely.

The film is taken from a single set at a single gig in 1985, late in Rich's career, when he was touring but not recording. Rich and band start with a bang, cranking through two up-tempo numbers, then delivering a less than sedate handling of "'Round Midnight . This was the second set and Rich sometimes looks just slightly winded in the short breaks between the first tunes. Later he seems to have gotten a second wind and is seen in close-up doing a silly dance on his stool. Once the tunes are launched, he never flags and his bombastic, propulsive abilities are in fine fettle. The band is probably filled with first rate jazz soloists, but the lion's share of solo time goes to the lions: Rich and his right hand man, tenorist Steve Marcus. These two show how unhesitant, straight ahead blowing, calculated for maximum wows, ought to be done.

Among the DVD's extras are commentary from the man himself, members of his family and others, including drummer Dave Weckl. There are also solo highlights, one of which could be used as exhibit A for the "greatest drummer legal team.

Personnel: Buddy Rich: drums, leader; Steve Marcus: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Mark Pinto, Bob Bowlby: alto saxophone; Brian Sjoerdinga: tenor saxophone, flute; Jay Craig: baritone saxophone; Scott Bliege, Mike Davis: trombone; James Martin: bass trombone; Paul Phillips, Eric Miyashiro, Michael Lewis, Joe Kaminski: trumpet; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Dave Carpenter: electric bass.

Tracks: Mexicali Nose; Willowcrest; 'Round Midnight; Cotton Tail; New Blues; Tee Bag; The Red Snapper; West Side Story (Overture and Medley).

Program Notes: Directed by Scott Ross; Approximate running time 115 minutes.

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Jazz article: Sunday Best: A Netflix Documentary
Jazz article: The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins
Jazz article: Marley: Collector's Edition (2DVD)
Jazz article: Bob Dylan: A Complete Unknown

Popular

Read Take Five with Pianist Irving Flores
Read Jazz em Agosto 2025
Read Bob Schlesinger at Dazzle
Read SFJAZZ Spring Concerts
Read Sunday Best: A Netflix Documentary
Read Vivian Buczek at Ladies' Jazz Festival

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.