Drum solos are a weird thing. Rarely are they dance-able and, unless a talking drum is utilized, there's no melody. Sometimes they're just ridiculous. When is all said and done, it's really just an opportunity for the drummer to show off. If he can. Buddy Rich could.
Yesterday I came across of a reissue of an LP I own, Krupa and Rich. If you know drummers, you know who Rich is and you probably know who Gene Krupa is. Both of them were their era's Keith Moon or Ginger Baker, i.e. drummers' drummers. Just full on kick ass relentless beating. They actually had several more joint LPs, at least two titled Drum Battle and there is a live version of "Drum Battle", the song, on Jazz at the Philharmonic, Volume 15, a 3 LP box set from 1954. (Just mentioning that one so I can brag that I scored a copy in great shape - in a dollar bin.) The Krupa and Rich LP, while at times restrained, really goes off in spots. There's only one song that they do together so at least you get to hear their chops within the same context. The reissue I came across had a couple added tracks, one was a Buddy Rich (no Krupa) called "Monster". If you know me, that's a Pavlovian click. Buddy Rich + Monster = no brainer. So, I'm listening and it's a nice jam with the rest of the band taking their turn in the spotlight. Then after six minutes, it's all Rich. Five minutes of arms flailing sweat dripping teeth gritting mayhem. One guy. I actually went to the listing at Discogs to verify that Krupa or another drummer weren't also on it. Hard to believe that someone could go at that intensity for that long. It's crazy man.
Speaking of Rich, monsters and crazy, I have to link to Rich berating his band after a gig. Buddy Rich loves to say the word "fuck". So much so, there's no "almost", it is comical. Total all caps. There's four segments, only one below with a link to the other three and the story about the tapes. Show off, asshole, good guy or bad guy, he was 100% his own person.
Saturday, March 18, 2023
"...FUCKIN' HIGH SCHOOL, BULLSHIT JIVE ARTISTS"
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
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