Buddy Rich - Three Classic Albums Plus (2012)

AVID Jazz here presents three classic Buddy Rich albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. 'The Wailing Buddy Rich'; 'The Swinging Buddy Rich'; 'This One's For Basie' plus 6 of 7 tracks from 'Buddy And Sweets' Bernard 'Buddy' Rich was born to show biz parents in Brooklyn in 1917. A natural drummer he was known in vaudeville as 'Taps the Drum Wonder' and was leading his own band by the time he was eleven! Starting his jazz career in 1938 in Joe Marsala's band he went on to play with the likes of Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw and Harry James. For the two 1955 'Wailing' sessions Buddy is joined by an array of jazz greats from Ben Webster, Thad Jones, Joe Newman and Frank Weiss to Oscar Peterson, Freddie Green, Harry Edison and Jimmy Rowles. In 1955 Buddy was 'Wailing', two years earlier he was 'Swinging', joined again by a stellar line up including Benny Carter, Harry Edison, George Auld, Milt Bonhart and Willie Smith. 'This is jazz of the explosive variety topped off with a solo lasting upwards of three minutes (by 'the greatest drummer of all time', according to Gene Krupa, and he should know!!). Having appeared in all of our early selections with Buddy, Harry Edison finally gets his name in lights for 'Harry & Sweets'. Jimmy Rowles hooks up again alongside Barney Kessel on guitar and John Simmons on bass. The result is 'a very smooth, very musical slice of jazz'. Our final selection finds Buddy paying tribute to one of the great jazz masters. 'This One's For Basie' features Buddy with a full orchestra performing arrangements by the legendary Marty Paich. A fine line up including Harry Edison, Pete Condoli and Buddy Collette do more than justice in a set that includes five Basie originals. All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!