Buddy Rich

Musician

1917-09-30 – 1987-04-02

American jazz drummer and bandleader widely regarded for his virtuoso technique and speed. He led successful big bands and became one of the most celebrated drummers in modern jazz.

Quotes by Buddy Rich

But primarily, the drummer's supposed to sit back there and swing the band.
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To have everything written for you... It's not really creating. That's why I think symphony drummers are so limited. They 're limited to exactly what was played a hundred years before them by a thousand other drummers.
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And, well of course, Count Basie, and I think all of the black bands of the late thirties and early forties, bands with real players. They had an influence on everybody, not just drummers.
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I think the drummer should sit back there and play some drums, and never mind about the tunes. Just get up there and wail behind whoever is sitting up there playing the solo. And this is what is lacking, definitely lacking in music today.
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