(no subject)
I ordered up a couple of Buddy Rich DVDs from Netflix, and they came in yesterday. I got one disk of nothing but drum solos (also featuring many other big band greats like Art Blakey and Gene Krupa), and one of his big band performing at the 1982 Montreal jazz festival.
I've seen very little of Buddy's work, and have known him by little else than his reputation. I saw a couple of small clip[s of him during the tail end of solos where he was keeping a buzz roll going with his left hand, and playing 16th notes on a single bass drum. As Paul Harvey might say, I had to know the rest of the story.
After watching Buddy rip out a few different solos (he plays one on just about every song), I stand completely in awe of his talent. His chops were the stuff of legend, and a hummingbird couldn't keep up with his arms and legs.
But when I watched him play with his band, I noticed something else....total control. This is a term that only drummers can fully appreciate, but for the non-drummers, I'll elaborate.
Control is the ultimate goal, and it's the thing that separates the truly great players from the idiots that carry drumsticks around in their back pocket. Essentially, it's the polar opposite of sloppiness. Every note that is played is exactly as loud and as long as is intended, and is as flawless as a machine. The guy moves effortlessly through tempos and dynamics, and it's smooth and makes sense. Every solo tells a story, and fits with the song. And then he pulls back and lets his band play the song.
Lately, I've been trying to get my chops up to speed to play in a jazz combo. When it comes to rock stuff, I really have little else to prove, and so now I'm trying to sink myself into a totally different style of playing. It's really a lost art form, but I want to keep it alive. Sadly, I haven't heard of any garage big bands, at least not here in Little Rock. But I figure I keep my chops up, and something will come up.
Buddy is inspiration in many respects, but getting chops like his will take years and years. I've been playing drums close to 20 years, and the man still blows me away.