ENDEIT
Buddy Rich
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Drummers · 1917–1987

Buddy Rich

American jazz drummer and bandleader (1917–1987)

Born
30 September 1917
Brooklyn
Died
2 April 1987
Los Angeles
Country
United States
Active
1921–1987
Record labels
Blue Note, Verve Records, EmArcy Records, Pablo, Clef Records
Discography
50 albums

Biography

Buddy Rich was a jazz musician who played drum kit. Buddy Rich was born on 30 September 1917 in Brooklyn and died on 2 April 1987 in Los Angeles. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Blue Note, Verve Records, EmArcy Records and Pablo. The discography here lists 50 albums, from “The Swinging Buddy Rich” (1954) to “Trios” (2023).

Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He discovered his affinity for jazz music at a young age and began drumming at the age of two. He began playing jazz in 1937, working with acts such as Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James. From 1942 to 1944, Rich served in the U.S. Marines. From 1945 to 1948, he led the Buddy Rich Orchestra. In 1966, he recorded a big-band style arrangement of songs from West Side Story. He found lasting success in 1966 with the formation of the Buddy Rich Big Band, also billed as The Buddy Rich Band and The Big Band Machine. Rich was known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

The Swinging Buddy Rich 1954 · Norgran Records Sing And Swing With Buddy Rich 1955 · Norgran Records Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer 1956 · Verve This One's for Basie 1956 In Miami 1958 · Live · Verve Rich Versus Roach 1959 · Mercury Records The 'Electric-Sticks' Of Buddy Rich 1960 · Alto Records Blues Caravan 1961 · Verve Burnin Beat 1962 · Verve Swingin' New Big Band 1966 · Live · Pacific Jazz The Driver 1967 · EmArcy Rich à la Rakha 1968 The Last Blues Album Volume 1 1974 · Groove Merchant The Roar of '74 1974 · Groove Merchant Transition 1974 · Groove Merchant Very Live at Buddy's Place 1974 · Live · Groove Merchant Class of '78 1977 · The Great American Gramophone Company Lionel Hampton Presents: Buddy Rich 1977 · Who's Who In Jazz Plays and Plays and Plays 1977 · RCA The Bull 1980 · Chiaroscuro Records The Man From Planet Jazz 1980 · Live · PRT Records Mr. Drums Buddy Rich: Live on King Street 1985 · Live · Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Tuff Dude 1989 · Live · Lester Recording Catalog The Greatest Drummer That Ever Lived with... the Best Band I Ever Had 1990 · DCC Compact Classics One Night Stand 1991 · Bandstand Rags to Riches 1991 · Live · Four Star Two Big Bands Play Selections From West Side Story & Other Delights 1991 · LRC Ltd. No Jive 1992 · Novus Europe 77 1993 · Live · Magic Records
At Stadshalle Leonberg, Germany 10th July 1986 1994
Big Swing Face 1996 · Pacific Jazz Giant Steps 2000 · Point Entertainment Jazz off the Air, Volume 5: The Cinch 2000 · Live · Spotlite Records The Cinch 2000 · Live · Spotlite Records Wham! 2001 · Live · M Label Buddy and Sweets 2003 · Verve Rich and Famous 2003 · TKO Magnum Meteor No Funny Hats 2004 Quiet Riot 2004 · Proper Records A Different Drummer 2005 · BMGファンハウス Big Band Machine 2005 · LRC Ltd. Rich in London 2005 · BMG Japan Richcraft 2006 Time Out 2007 · Live · Lightyear Entertainment The Swinging Buddy Rich West Coast All-Star Sessions 2009 · Fresh Sound Records Birdland 2015 · Lightyear Entertainment Channel One Set 2017 Just in Time the Final Recording 2019 · Gearbox Records Trios 2023 · Live · Lightyear Entertainment Stick It

Also plays on

Albums where Buddy Rich is credited as a sideman

1946 Bird & Pres at JAPT — Bird & Pres drums (drum set)
1952 Bird and Diz — Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie drums (drum set)
1953 Cosmopolite — Benny Carter drums (drum set)
1954 Bud Powell's Moods — Bud Powell drums (drum set)
1955 Pres and Sweets — Lester Young & Harry “Sweets” Edison drums (drum set)
1956 Ella and Louis — Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong drums (drum set)
1956 Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie — Oscar Peterson drums (drum set)
1956 Krupa and Rich — Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich drums (drum set)
1956 Afro-Cuban Jazz: The Music of Chico O'Farrill — Machito drums (drum set)
1957 The Flip Phillips Quintet — Flip Phillips drums (drum set)
1960 The Drum Battle — Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich drums (drum set)
1966 Alto Blue — Johnny Hodges drums (drum set)
1978 Just Jazz: Together Again for the First Time — Mel Tormé & Buddy Rich liner notes, drums (drum set)
1984 Jazz at the Philharmonic - Carnegie Hall 1949 — Bird & Pres drums (drum set)
1986 Hamp's Blues — Lionel Hampton drums (drum set)
1989 Live in New York 1955-1956 — Tommy Dorsey & Jimmy Dorsey drums (drum set)
1992 Double Exposure — Stan Getz / Zoot Sims drums (drum set)
1993 Plays Count Basie — Oscar Peterson drums (drum set)
1994 Cosmopolite: The Oscar Peterson Verve Sessions — Benny Carter drums (drum set)
1994 Lester Young Trio — Lester Young drums (drum set)
1998 A Night at Birdland — Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie drums (drum set)
1999 Frank Sinatra Sings Sy Oliver Arrangements — Frank Sinatra drums (drum set)
1999 Just One of Those Things — Lionel Hampton drums (drum set)
2000 Blue Lester — Lester Young drums (drum set)
2014 The Lester Young-Buddy Rich Trio with Nat "King" Cole — Lester Young-Buddy Rich Trio & Nat King Cole drums (drum set)
2019 Selected Sessions (1934-1943) — Coleman Hawkins drums (drum set)
2020 Charlie Parker With Strings — Charlie Parker drums (drum set)
2020 Plays Cole Porter — Charlie Parker drums (drum set)
2020 Bird And Diz — Charlie Parker drums (drum set)

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Bongo, Bass and Guitar The Buddy Rich Quintet · Buddy Rich · George Wiggins · Harry Edison… archive.org ↗
  • Bugle Call Rag The Flip Phillips-Buddy Rich Trio · Buddy Rich · Flip Phillips ·… archive.org ↗
  • I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME The "King" · Charlie Shavers · Buddy Rich · Herbie Haymer · John… archive.org ↗
  • Sleepyhead The Flip Phillips - Buddy Rich Trio · Buddy Rich · Flip Phillips ·… archive.org ↗
  • Sleepyhead The Flip Phillips-Buddy Rich Trio · Buddy Rich · Flip Phillips ·… archive.org ↗
  • Bugle Call Rag The Flip Phillips - Buddy Rich Trio · Buddy Rich · Flip Phillips ·… archive.org ↗
  • DATE FOR EIGHT BILLY KYLE'S BIG EIGHT · Billy Kyle · Dick Vance · Trummy Young ·… archive.org ↗
  • SWINGING ON CENTRAL The "King" · Charlie Shavers · Buddy Rich · Herbie Haymer · John… archive.org ↗

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Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Buddy Rich play?

Buddy Rich is known for playing drum kit.

When and where was Buddy Rich born?

Buddy Rich was born 30 September 1917 in Brooklyn.

What are Buddy Rich's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The Swinging Buddy Rich (1954), Sing And Swing With Buddy Rich (1955), Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer (1956), This One's for Basie (1956) and In Miami (1958).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.