Search - Buddy Rich :: Different Drummer

Some of his best and worst together on one CD

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 03/28/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"From the mid-60s to the mid-70s, Buddy Rich had one of the finest big bands ever assembled, a combination of great players, great arrangements, and of course Buddy's drumming. Unfortunately, in an attempt to increase his commercial appeal, he also fell prey to the "jazz rock" fad, a mostly unpleasant detour from the interesting things that such an ensemble should be doing.

In this 1971 album, three tracks do not hold up well: two selections from the then-popular rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" and a jazz-rock tune called "Domino". A bit better is "Paul's Tune", a funky bluesy arrangement that does have some interesting things going on.

And now for something completely different. This album's rendition of the jazz standard "Chelsea Bridge" is the best big band arrangement of this tune you're ever likely to hear. Also, Buddy offers another big showpiece in the tradition of his previous recordings "Channel One Suite" and "West Side Story Medley". "A Piece of the Road Suite" never achieved the recognition of the other two, but it's a great concert piece that starts calmly and then builds energy throughout the 13-minute performance.

Speaking of energy, "Straight, No Chaser" kicks like crazy. An exceptional part of this track is Jeff Stout's muted trumpet solo. Yes, I said muted. Stout does something amazing here - without relying on the impact of an open horn or piercing high notes, he uses phrasing and nice licks to keep up the intensity. Students of jazz trumpet, take note.

This CD is an import, and the liner notes are in Japanese. The back cover of the original album is reproduced, but the text is so small you'll probably need a magnifier to read it."

Worth it just for 3 or 4 tracks

R. Viehdorfer | Arvada CO | 06/30/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While not an essential part of the RCA library of Rich releases, especially at this price (!) the tracks on this date that stand out are Straight, No Chaser, Chelsea Bridge, and Piece of The Road Suite. Production quality is so-so; I always found most of the RCA material to be long on compression, and this is no exception. Buy any Pacific Jazz release first, before you add this to your collection. Other RCA releases that were (are) better quality include Rich In London and Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays."