Thursday, December 20, 2012

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buddy Rich Big Band

Artist:Buddy Rich Big Band f/Kenny Aronoff
Song:Straight No Chaser
Album:Burning With Buddy: A Tribute To The Music Of Buddy Rich




After the 1987 death of legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich, his band has continued to tour as the Buddy Rich Big Band. This is not as unusual as you might think. For years after his death, the Duke Ellington band was led by his son Mercer Ellington. And there have also been tribute bands for Count Basie and Charles Mingus. The idea to record this 1994 Buddy Rich tribute CD came when Rich's daughter Cathy Rich invited Rush drummer Neil Peart to play at the 1992 Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert in New York City. A lot of other drummers were there and Peart got the idea to record a Buddy Rich tribute CD featuring a different drummer on each song. This cover of the Thelonious Monk standard Straight No Chaser features session drummer and longtime John Mellencamp band member Kenny Aronson. Other drummers appearing include British session drummer Simon Phillips, jazzman Dave Weckl, legendary sessionman Steve Gadd, Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses, Steve Smith of Journey, Neil Peart, French drummers Manu Katche and Mino Cinelu, jazz legends Billy Cobham and Max Roach, Rod Morganstein of Winger and The Dixie Dregs, session drummer Omar Hakim, Ed Shaughnessy of the Johnny Carson Tonight Show band, Joe Morello of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bill Bruford of King Crimson, Marvin "Smitty" Smith of The Jay Leno Show band and Steve Ferrone of Average White Band. This CD was also released on home video. The CD reached #6 on the Jazz Album chart. it did so well that Cathy Rich agreed to record a second tribute CD in 1997 featuring many of the same drummers. Tribute albums don't always turn out as well as this one. It's available as a budget CD so Buddy Rich fans in particular should check it out. Here's the Buddy Rich Big Band featuring Kenny Aronson performing Straight No Chaser from the Burning With Buddy DVD.

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