Buddy performs the song "Time Check" with his band at the Montreal Jazz Festival. One of many great performances excerpted from the "Buddy Rich Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival" DVD. More information at HudsonMusic.com
I was a mediocre 3rd trombone in one of the best high school jazz bands in the state. We never played this... some of the hardest stuff we did was Hank Levy odd-time stuff. We did have at the time the best drummer in the state who went on to a long pro career. I wonder how he would have done on this beast.
I bet you did do well. You'd be surprised how good you probably were, just noone gave you credit at the time but the proof was in your role in playing this piece for that event. Band leaders won't let you if you couldnt
Yep, my Dad always told me to check Buddy out when I first started playing drums at like 13. I was like yea right sure thing I’ll get right on that. Of course when I finally saw a video of him a couple years later my mind was blown.
Buddy Rich was the 'gateway drug' to Jazz for a great many jazz lovers. He was so dynamic and tasteful check him out of the excellent 'Bird with Strings'.
Buddy Rich was always at his best even at the end. Dying at 69, he played faster and better than almost other drummers even with a broken foot or hand. I looked up to him, saw him play in the 70's at my old HS. He was an explosive force at all times.
this is perfection and shows why buddy had/has no equal as a drummer....there is no long solo, nothing fancy, just a drummer driving a big band as no one else can or ever will
***** One could read every word ever written in every known language since the beginning of time and not find a dumber, less informed comment than yours. Please, for the sake of the planet, don't reproduce.
***** Stop licking buddy rich's dead ass and face reality. The man couldn't even groove, which is the main reason why it is only worth listening to his bebop performances.
MarkR1957 Any bebop performance. When you can't grove it becomes more apparent when you lower the tempo because you have to grove much more in lower tempos. The groove is pretty much when you either play a bit before the actual beat (a typical swing grove) or slightly after the beat (a typical blues grove). This slight difference between when the beat is and when you actualy play becomes larger when you slow down the tempo. Because buddy rich can't grove for shit, it becomce embarrassingly apparent when he tries to play slow swing. But it is allso aparent that he is either aware of it or just a bad big band drummer, because instead of ever holding a steady grove longer than a second, he makes lots of pointless destructive fills, that only helps to ruine for his band. He plays as if he where in the spotlight and no big band drummer should ever do so. The big band drummer is the floor of the band and should exist mainly to complement the rest of the band.
Wonderful stuff from the master! And let's remind ourselves what a superb saxophonist Steve Marcus was - every solo he plays has something special in it.
I had the privilege of seeing Buddy and his band in a little theater in New Orleans--so close to the stage that I nearly tripped over it...what an honor to see this particular genius in action.
This is a great song, and my highschool jazz band played this. As a freshman bass trombonist, the part was the hardest thing I had ever played. And let me tell you, the last phrase really takes the wind out of you. I love this chart
Buddy's sense of swing is unmatched. another thing I just realized are those momentary pauses right before he crashes in. It brings it to a whole now level
All this energy after playing a full set and a big solo......and of course he played like this every night...Buddy was simply the best, he gave all he had every time.
+tunefultony johnson ha ha great comment. I had this track on an album and used to play it all the time and could not get it. My drum teacher said if you can sing it you can play it. I think this is one of those where you have to have it in your head. Buddy was very good at that. He was very good at a lot of stuff and invented the rest!
That's funny lol. He did that for every recording of time check. I very much enjoy what he does there, because it leaves the audience wondering for that split second, why did he stop? Then Bam!! they come back at full speed on count 2.
Buddy provides a *very* brief setup so the band can confidently enter after the drum fill. I've heard several takes of this song and at this 8 bar section-assuming it's written in 4/4 time and played in cut time, because I've never seen the score-just prior to the sax solo, Buddy seems to fill the first 4 bars differently (and awesomely!) on each take. But the endings of his fills at this spot are usually the same: in the 4th bar he hits quarter notes on beats 2-3-4, then nothing on beat 1 of the 5th measure, then crash cymbal coordinated with band entrance on the beat 2 of the 5th measure, and the band motors on from there, with the sax solo emerging through the trumpets descending gliss. The key point I'm observing is that, without actually counting time during Buddy's fill, the band can make a perfect entrance by listening for those 3 quarter notes; they are a dead giveaway. As for how Buddy perfectly fills the beats each time remains a mystery to me. Further to the point (as if anybody is even reading this far): Watch Weckl on ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Biyt63VCikE.html at the 0:46 mark; he does the same thing.
We all have to realize that Buddy Rich WAS a genius...the same as Mozart or Leonardo DaVinci. Ive see him live 5 times. He was all that, and a bag of chips!!
This one of the fastest tempo settings for Time Check I've heard.. The studio version is much slower on the roar of 74 album. Ferocious playing at a ferocious tempo.
Lordy, all the high level military jazz/big bands take phenomenal tempos! so fast there's no nuance to the incredible phrases Don Menza wrote, but impressive nonetheless
Saw Buddy many times, favorite spot Lake Compounce CT. Me and my best bud also a drummer would go whenever he came to CT. We set up our kits in his basement and laughingly tried to "duplicate". Great times 1970-1971 return from active duty days.
That's right, kiddies - Buddy was hard on his guys and he kept them in line, and kicked their asses for them when they played below their abilities. Here is the result of Buddy's leadership. Absolutely Fantastic ~
It's too much ,I cannot cope with it but I cannot live without it! It ex phantasmagorical.and I've just calmed down from a regional brass band contest. Thank you google .janni!
@MarkR1957 Yeh you hit the nail on the head - the excitement of Buddy Rich was as much about the way he ran the band as his drumming (which was incredible) - sassy, gum-chewing kick-ass American jazz with attitude
Buddy keeps the flow by not hesitating on the kicks- he plays through them without hesitating or chopping them up- keeping a ride cybal and left hand rythm, and hitting the crashes. There is no fear-like gee I better not miss a kick. 2:26
Steve Marcus. First tenor saxophone player for buddy for since 75 (I think) till the end of buddys life. Buddy and Steve were great friends. If you like Steve, buddy had lots of great first Tenor players, like Pat Labarbera and Don Menza. Don actually wrote time check
Mark Doherty you stole my line!! first 10 seconds is typical left going crazy. To us mortals anyway who think gravity has a say in things. Buddy did not care about stupid stuff like gravity and forces, the sticks did what he wished and that was that. An alien and a god of the drums. RIP Buddy Rich we are still trying and failing to copy your genius.
+pinball1970 Perfectly put. I was watching a clip of Dave Weckl playing this song with the BR band in the studio. I love Dave Weckl, and consider him one of the absolute best... and the same of Vinnie C... but there just isn't anyone who does it the way Buddy did. The ever-persistent driving force that he was behind the band is unmatched.
i wish i knew how the hell he played like that. his drumming sounded so easy and free - like his muscles could play without tensing up at all, even to strike the drum head. like he would hit the drum-head once, and just use the energy from the rebound to power the stick for the rest of the night.
Jazz or not buddy rich is really on a different spectrum. Look at his middle and ring finger when he comps…. Like what? There truly is such crazy brain function going on. Wow
Fuck. Holy Fuck. RIP Mr. Rich I recently watched the BR memorial concerts again, Gregg Bissonette did Time Check. Great drummer, and wonderful human being. I studied with Gregg back in the 80s before he was a megastar. But Buddy (i am sure Gregg would concur so I don't feel awkward saying this) - Buddy just defined big band. Not just chops. Whole package
My top 5 favorite drummers are Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Dave Weckle, Brian Blade, Peter Erskine. But one thing is for sure, if anyone ever asks who I THINK the greatest drummer of all time is, it’s Buddy Rich. Easily. 👍
Hmmm..I don't know about some of you guys, but when I bought this arrangement back in 1978 (only $35 at that time- Byron Hoyt San Fran, CA) the only way I thought it was difficult was when it was played at this tempo. Slowed down a bit, like the 1974 LP or '73 video; seemed manageable. And I played the Jazz Tenor chair. Looking at the arrangement today, still doesn't look difficult.
Gods gift to hichory. Extraordinary that he couldn't read music - or so I'm told...how does he remember it all and be so tight? Unbeleivable. Just got his book ironically today. 'Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments'...I'm off to practice.
