Buddy Rich as singer?

[ghost of miles]

Recently got the Rich Mosaic and have been partaking slowly. Intrigued by the liner notes' allusion to the vocal albums that Rich made in the 1950s--any good? How was Buddy as a singer?

[(BB)]

I found some Buddy Rich vocal tracks on Everest Records FS-260. A cheap way to get a sample if you can track one down. The jacket notes say "His voice is moody, metalic, masculine, and magnetic, with no big crescendoes needed to get the message home."

Not really my thing, so I won't try and describe it any further.

[JSngry]

I've heard a couple of Rich vocal tracks on the Singers & Standards channel of Music Choice (great way to get exposure to both, btw. Most all their programming is at least tangetally jazz-related), and I've been disappointed. "Metalic, masculine, and magnetic" sums it up pretty well, if slightly cryptically. Not a lot of fluidity in the voice or phrasing. The guy could carry a tune, though, so that's not the issue. There's just something too "straight-line" about Buddy's singing that is not what I'm looking for.

Truthfully, Steve Lawrence's singing appeals to me more.

[Stereojack]

Buddy's singing is, uh, average, to put it kindly. Not much in the way of vocal chops, kind of a jivey delivery. At one point he announced that he was hanging up his drumsticks to pursue a career as a vocalist, but that idea didn't last. Much better drummer than singer!

[Chuck Nessa]

I never understood why he didn't make a tenor sax record. It would have "killed" a few folks here.

[JSngry]

Edited February 1, 2006 by JSngry

[makpjazz57]

I remember reading in a verrrrrrrrrrrrry old Downbeat mag that Buddy was toying with taking up vibes. Don't think that one every materialized...

Marla

[Chuck Nessa]

I remember reading in a verrrrrrrrrrrrry old Downbeat mag that Buddy was toying with taking up vibes. Don't think that one every materialized...

Marla

Buddy took up "bad vibes" early on in his career.

[Dan Gould]

Truthfully, Steve Lawrence's singing appeals to me more.

I have to say that this reminds me of the classic Phil Hartman Sinatra sketch when he tells Billy Idol that he's "got chunks of people like you in my stool!" and then tells Steve Lawrence to fight for him.

[jazzbo]

Buddy really should have not sung at all early in his career. . . late forties big band sides with vocals were awful!

I do have one Verve lp though where he sings and to behonest I like it. Maybe it's a fluke. . . . I mean I won't ever listen to it over and over and over. . . .

[Chuck Nessa]

[Kalo]

Well, he may not have been the greatest singer, but based on his (surrepetitiously) recorded rants, he'd have been a hell of a rapper, profanity and all!

[Kalo]

Well, he may not have been the greatest singer, but based on his (surrepetitiously) recorded rants, he'd have been a hell of a rapper, profanity and all!

[spinlps]

So where does he sit in the Jarrett/Garner --- Kenny Dorham spectrum?

[joeface]

At one point he announced that he was hanging up his drumsticks to pursue a career as a vocalist, but that idea didn't last.

I heard (from my dad who grew up a big fan of Rich) that at one point he wanted to hang up the sticks and take up tap-dancing.

[JSngry]

Now avaialable at DG:

For some reason, Buddy doesn't do the "lovelorn" look very well...