Product Description

Jazz Icons: Buddy Rich features the relentless power and unparalleled artistry of the man who was known as Â"The WorldÂ’s Greatest Drummer.Â" This 75-minute concert, taped in Holland in 1978, showcases one of the tightest big bands in history, featuring acclaimed saxophonist Steve Marcus and other members of BuddyÂ’s Â"Killer Force,Â" the group he would later call Â"the best band I ever had.Â" Standout performances include Â"Grand Concourse,Â" Â"Big Swing Face,Â" and Â"Channel One Suite,Â" which features BuddyÂ’s jaw-dropping drum solo.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16774 in DVD
• Brand: Jazz
• Released on: 2006-09-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
With his fiery polyrhythms and large-than-life persona, Buddy Rich was the last of the big-band drummers. This blistering 75-minute date from Holland (in 1978) features Rich's Killer Force ensemble (named after a Clint Eastwood movie). With saxophonists Steve Marcus and Gary Pribeck, trumpeter Mike McGovern, and trombonists Glenn Franke and Dale Kirkland as the primary soloists, Rich drives his men through eight selections of no-nonsense, straight-ahead jazz, which includes Sal Nestico's "You Gotta Try," John La Barbera's waltz, "Best Coast," and a melancholic rendition of Thelonious Monk's immortal ballad, "'Round Midnight." The Weather Report hit "Birdland" is given a run for its money, thanks to Rich's riveting rhythms, and the "Channel One Suite" features his best extended solo. The DVD is augmented by an informative 20-page booklet, which includes a Down Beat interview with Mel Torme, where Rich states, "I like to think of my solos as telling a story." Thanks to this document, new generations get to see and hear Rich's syncopated stories told through his relentless artistry in motion. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Jazz Times
"Jazz Icons is doing for jazz what the Criterion Collection has done for classic and important films".

From the Director
JAZZ ICONS(tm) is an ongoing DVD series featuring full-length concerts and in-studio performances by the greatest legends of jazz, filmed all over the world from the 1950s through the 1970s. Beautifully transferred from the riginal masters, none of these concerts has ever been officially released on home video, and in many cases, the material was never broadcast. Each DVD is produced with the full support and cooperation of the artists or their estates. JAZZ ICONS(tm) comes to you from Reelin' In The Years Productions, GRAMMY Nominated producers of the American Folk Blues Festival DVDs 1962 - 1966.

Customer Reviews

Legendary drummer, killer band, winning program, crack performance, well-edited video, fair audio.
Unlike some listeners, I prefer the straightahead, swinging, Basie-indebted Rich ensemble of the late '70s to the somewhat ponderous, rock-heavy textures of the band assembled by Buddy during the late '60s. Even though this 1978 concert catches the band just after the departure of some key Rich players like trumpeter Dave Stahl and pianist Barry Kiener, it still features Buddy's right-hand man, tenor saxophonist Steve Marcus, along with a tight-knit ensemble of players with strong soloists in all sections.

The program is a crowd-pleaser, with Nestico swingers, a fusion pop chart ("Birdland"), and one of Rich's two major drum solo vehicles ("Channel One Suite"), on which he doesn't disappoint. Visually, the camera man and editors are right on top of the action, providing long shots, close-ups, and angled shots that moreover follow the musical action. Sonically, the DVD is a bit of a disappointment. The electric bass is frequently overly penetrating and "twangy," while Buddy's bass drum, snares, and toms are often muffled. The cymbals, moreover--both the crucial hi-hat and ride cymbal--are all but inaudible for much of the performance.

Even if the concert originally was not planned for commercial release, how could the crew responsible for recording a performance by the world's most legendary drummer fail to adequately mic the drums?

There's no one better
From the beginning to end, this 1978 concert clearly showcases the extraordinary skills that Buddy Rich had. As Louis Bellson, one of Rich's rivals and best friends said, "he was one of God's special children" and truer words were never spoken. I have watched literally hundreds of drummers perform in every venue possible and while there are some truly gifted folks among them, no one has ever comes close to matching Rich's power, speed, technique, timing and sense of being one with his kit and the music. This edition of his band, which began in 1966, is also first-rate, with the late Steve Marcus leading the charge with his exceptional talent on tenor sax. The band's handling of many Rich's complex charts is clean and nearly flawless, far better than some of his later bands, which were populated by younger, less experienced players such as those who performed with him in his final concerts from 1985 that are also available on DVD. As for Mr. Rich, there has never been a left hand that moved more swiftly or with such precision over a snare head. He is missed and still revered by almost every drummer and serious musician and this concert is a wonderful reminder of how greatness sometimes only comes around once. Enjoy this one. It's well worth the bucks!

Better late, than never!
Finally, a DVD release of Buddy and his band from the seventies that does them justice! "Buddy Rich - At the Top" was the previous DVD release from that decade, but it leaves viewers frustrated, because the audio quality is lacking, and the camera angles of Buddy range from fair to poor to missing altogether. Not the case with "Buddy Rich - Live in '78," a great performance of Buddy with his "Killer Force" band, taped in Holland. The sound quality is excellent and the visuals are excellent (drummers, watch Buddy's amazing left hand, supporting, augmenting, and driving his Killer Force - incredible! Truly, "one of a kind."). For those who remember seeing Buddy live in the seventies, I think you will agree this DVD captures the thunderous power, amazing precision and brilliant musicality of those times. For those who didn't see Buddy live you are in for a treat, and a lesson - in how a drummer can propel a Big Band into the stratosphere! Thank you to all who participated in the production of this fantastic DVD; special thanks to you Dean Pratt, and your brother Michael, for the informative and insightful liner notes included in the wonderful 20 page booklet.