Search - Buddy Rich :: Swingin New Big Band

New Band....New Energy...Same Ole' Amazing Buddy!

C. Law | Las Vegas, NV USA | 09/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DON'T MISS THIS! In 1966, Buddy Rich left his gig as the highest-paid sideman in history with Harry James' band to start another big band of his own in Vegas. When Buddy finally dumped his backer (who wanted this to be a big ROCK band) because the charts were bad, quality arrangers like Oliver Nelson and Bill Reddie (house arranger at the Dunes Hotel) showed up and history was made! The result is one of the most exciting bands you'll EVER HEAR! This band really PLAYED! I heard it in a little room in Oldtown Chicago called "The Scotch Mist," and they nearly blew the customers' drinks right off the tables! The sound was different, too. The charts were great, but a lot of the uniqueness (I think) came from the "barrel-house" lead trombone of Jim Trimble "pushing" the Vegas trumpet section to new heights. You can really hear the "middle" of the band in their recordings.The personnel were kind of anonymous in '66 (unless you were a musician), but many are very well known now (such as Bobby Shew, Carson Smith and Gene Quill). Don't be fooled ! In the 60's, you could walk into ANY hotel on "The Strip" and get blown away by the HOUSE BAND! These guys are simply GREAT! (Several of them are still hanging around Las Vegas, some in pretty surprising jobs...).Thanks to Bob Belden and Dean Pratt (a trumpet-player and Rich alumnus), there are (9) extra tracks not on the original LP, but included on this CD (the five Oliver Nelson charts would make it worth the price of the album alone). So a fantastic album was just made EVEN BETTER by the reissue producers ! Get this, crank up the stereo and just TRY not to grin when the band rips through Bill Reddie's "West Side Story Medley" or Phil Wilson's "Basically Blues." ( I'll bet you WILL....)."

Jaw-dropping awesome album!

P. Hill | Woodstown, NJ USA | 01/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pile-driving energy, tack-driving precision, great arrangements, great club ambience - my favorite all-time big band album."

An All-Time Classic, A Great Sampler with Energy!

Christopher Covais | 12/17/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording should be standard study for any jazz enthusiast. It has it all in a compact well defined statement of raw power jazz that will never be seen or heard again. These guys did it for fun and enjoyed it. Dont worry about taste- this is very tasty!"