There are not many names that have become fundamental in the musical world. One such person grew up in Sheepshead Bay, a cute neighborhood in Brooklyn. Buddy Rich is a name well-known to millions of Americans and musicians. His career was an example of real success in the world of show business. Read more on brooklynski.
Early education
Buddy Rich was born in 1917. The parents of the future musician were Jews by nationality. They owned a vaudeville theater where the performance was held in Yiddish. Vaudeville is characterized by short plays with bright musical accompaniment. It can be considered the forefather of musicals.
The creative work of the parents helped to reveal the son’s talent. When Buddy was only one year old, his father noticed that his son kept a good rhythm by tapping his spoon on the table. At the age of 18 months, he played the drums in his parents’ theater. Then, his career began. Parents did a lot to develop their son’s talent and his career. Sometimes, they even adapted the plays to his level. The boy developed quickly.
Few of the great artists can boast that they started their career at 18 months. As a child, he was one of the highest-paid artists. He was surpassed only by Jackie Coogan.
At the age of 11, Buddy was already part of a musical group. Rumors about the little talent spread all over the district. Buddy never went to music school and couldn’t read notes. In addition, Buddy claimed that he never rehearsed the performances and played only during concerts. Thus, the image of an incredibly talented and blessed boy was created.
A meeting with jazz
Rich started playing in the band in 1937 for the first time. He was accompanied by Joe Marsala and Jack Lemer. Members of the band changed frequently. Buddy had a changeable character. When he was only 21, he had already recorded a song with the Vic Schoen Orchestra. In 1938, he started working in an orchestra and performed with Frank Sinatra. From this moment Rich and Sinatra became friends. In 1946, Sinatra sponsored the founding of his personal band.
In addition to performances, Buddy Rich actively managed various bands and collectives. He helped future music stars break through and find their voice. Due to this, during his career, Rich was involved in the lives of many bands and artists. In the early 1950s, he worked with Harry James (trumpeter). In 1966, he left it for the sake of a new team.
From the end of the 1960s, until the artist’s death, he managed many bands. Some of them became successful and popular under his patronage. However, he did not abandon personal performances and often preferred to perform solo in clubs.
Playing alone, Buddy showed more talent, improvised a lot and did not hold back his creative impulses. He was himself alone. When he accompanied someone, he restrained himself and adjusted. Still, he continued to keep company with such famous artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown and Herb Ellis.
Technique of the play
Rich’s playing technique later became the gold standard in the drumming world. He mostly used a standard stick grip but he could also perform various tricks. For example, the crossed movements of the hands during the drum shake. The audience loved this trick the most.
Buddy Rich gave an impetus to the popularity of stick-trick. It is characterized by rapid bounces of drumsticks from each other in the air.
Rich did not like monotonous play. He often began with a long solo and ended with a rustle of cymbals. Sometimes he played with the sound and changed it from loud to quiet. He achieved this effect by moving the sticks across the drum area from the center to the edges. In the world of music, he was better known as a powerful drummer with a love for loud and explosive sounds. In 1942, together with Henry Adler, he wrote the best and most popular textbook on playing the snare drum.
In addition to writing his own music, Rich also arranged it. West Side Story was one of his most famous works in arrangement. Bill Reddie’s famous work was difficult to perform. However, these challenges were able to emphasize Buddy’s talent. The first thing he did was to simplify the original version of the musical. He had a month of tedious and constant training and rehearsals for this. Buddy played the same moments over and over until he figured out how to make them easier.
Rich then worked on Channel One Suite, by the same author. His arrangement became a real hit in 1973-1976 in Italy. It was the main topic of sports television broadcasts La Domenica Sportiva.
Backstage
Most of Buddy’s colleagues would say he was friendly but hot-tempered. He repeatedly cursed at the band members, threatening to fire them. However, he did it rarely and only ‘at home’. In interviews and all kinds of TV shows, he praised his bands. Everyone knew that Buddy Rich, although loud and sometimes rude, was a kind, compassionate and immensely talented person. His skills were outweighed by the negative aspects of his character.
Buddy Rich died in 1987. At the age of 69, he underwent an operation on the brain and died of heart failure. He was buried in Los Angeles. After his death, new albums with songs were released for a long time. The grandson of the famous musician, Nick Rich, also became a drummer. However, he did not reach the height of his famous grandfather. Buddy Rich’s talent was unique, one for a hundred years.