CD Review: Buddy Rich - Birdland

(Review by Russell).

A 2015 Oscar nomination, the ongoing demand for posthumously released Buddy Rich material and private on-the-road recordings made by a keen (prescient?) band member. Birdland represents the Buddy Rich band in concert during the latter half of the 1970s. Eleven tracks recorded on tour at unspecified locations (some at Birdland?), the lack of   discography matters little.

The private recordings are those of Alan Gauvin. In his excellent notes accompanying Birdland the saxophonist readily acknowledges the lo-fi quality of the recordings. The life of a touring musician – travel, hotel, soundcheck – didn't afford him the luxury of achieving professional standard recordings: I started out recording on a Sony portable tape deck/AM/FM console with built in speakers and external mike inputs and a thirty dollar Radio Shack stereo mike placed right up in front of the sax section. Years later Gauvin is now able to make available these recordings to the Buddy Rich fan base.

Alan Gauvin reveals that he got along just fine with Buddy Rich. He witnessed volcanic temper tantrums and lived to tell the tale! The Oscar-winning Whiplash gave an impetus to the release of Birdland. Digital downloads exceeded expectations and the CD format will be released on May 25 (a vinyl LP is scheduled for a release on June 22 - now that would be nice!). Rich gave his blessing to Gauvin recording concert performances (had he heard the results it may have been a different matter!) and we should be grateful that the Buddy Rich archive is enhanced with the addition of Birdland.

Mexicali Rose opens the CD and it is immediately apparent that the sound quality isn't that of twenty first century studio recordings. The band sound is listenable (the vitality one associates with any Rich outfit is evident), the soloists’ contributions (great as they undoubtedly are) suffer in terms of being off-mic. This doesn't detract from the listening experience. In fact, it makes one listen all the more intently. The band’s featured tenor sax soloist Steve Marcus can be heard (he produced a big sound fitting for the Rich band) and others are clearly identifiable; Gauvin himself (alto) on Milestones, Turk Mauro (on God Bless the Child, Bob Mintzer on Moment’s Notice (it should be noted that Mintzer is on this track only) and the ‘Killer Force’ trumpet section (Dave Stahl, Dean Pratt and Ross Konikoff with either Jon Marshall or Waynon Reed) hit the rafters on Three Day Suckers.

Buddy Rich does play a couple of trio features (he wasn’t totally intent on blowing away the audience) with Just Friends and I Hear a Rhapsody but it is, of course, the sheer thrill of one of the great big bands roaring at the behest of it’s leader that makes Birdland an essential purchase. Buddy Rich Birdland is released on May 25 on Lightyear/Lobitos Creek Ranch (catalogue no. 5365646223).              

(Russell).

Buddy Rich (drums/bandleader), Alan Gauvin (alto & soprano saxophones, flute), Bill Blount (alto saxophone), Frank Basile (alto saxophone), Steve Marcus (tenor & soprano saxophones), Bobby Mintzer (tenor saxophone & flute), Turk Mauro (baritone saxophone), Rick Stepton (trombone), Dale Kirkland (trombone), David Boyle (trombone), Dave Stahl (trumpet), Dean Pratt (trumpet), Ross Konikoff (trumpet), John Marshall (trumpet), Waymon Reed (trumpet), Barry Keiner (piano), Tom Warrington (bass guitar) & Jon Burr (bass guitar) + various tracks Chuck Wilson (alto saxophone), Gary Pribek (tenor saxophone), Dave Kennedy (trumpet), Chuck Schmidt (trumpet), John Mosca (trombone), Clint Charmin (trombone) & Ed Eby (trombone).