(Bop/Swing/ Big Band/Bebop) Buddy Rich - Argo, Emarcy And Verve Small Group Buddy Rich Sessions (7 CD Box-Set) - 2006, FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

The First Major Retrospective
With all the international fame and his musical legacy, it's amazing that there has never been a major retrospective on CD - until now. This limited edition collection is a complete look at Rich when he was, without question, a top star. The seven-CDs features studio dates and live performances from 1953 to 1961 in quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, and octet settings - plus, an 11-piece orchestra. A few tracks only issued in Japan.
There are delightful surprises from a sea of known talents that include Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Benny Carter, Thad Jones, Ben Webster, Oscar Peterson, and more:
• A 1954 session includes inspired playing by Harry "Sweets" Edison.
• Webster's and Peterson's presence on a 1955 date with borrowed Basie-ites; Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Frank Wess, and Freddie Green, make for exciting listening.
• The "orchestra" assembled in 1956 includes two sets of great Basie tunes with a all-star band featuring Frank Rosolino, Pete Candoli, Buddy Collete, Jimmy Rowles, and others.
• A highlight of the set is a 1957 quartet with with fabulous blowing by Flip Phillips.
His solos are virtuoso presentations of licks known and invented on the spot. Like no one before him, he coaxes melody from a rhythm instrument. Rarely will you find such agility and power, simultaneously. Even on blues numbers, which want naturally to drag, Rich pushes, producing maddening tension. And when he needs to lay back and let someone else solo, he is respectfully ever-present.
The Mosaic collection, packed with 78 tracks including 13 that have never appeared anywhere, is a Rich fan's dream set bringing together many hard to obtain LPs that present him as a leader of studio dates in addition to the early sixties small group albums for both Verve and Argo. Before Rich, drums played a customary support role. His devotion to performance put them center stage. This set finally gives him his due.
5 stars not enough!!!!
THEBEST Mosaic Set so far....Listen Loud!!!
Buddy Rich is the GOD of Drumming. Just like Going to DRUM CHURCH
Heres some comments on this Mosaic Set. It does not matter what you pick up by Buddy Rich whether its this set or anything Buddy Rich touched or played its just a Masterpiece in Percussion. Buddy would play behind any group. Small Group Big Band and make it sound like the greatest Musical Ensemble in the World. Buddy was more than Twenty Million Delco or Die Hard Batteries. I seen him kick a big band and make them want to play harder and become better musicians. Also saw him in small group setting like this Mosaic Set and he would Wow you. Mesmorize you and often shake your head in Saying or Shouting. Thats not Fair how can one Man sit behind a set of drum and play Complex Drum Solos How can one Human play so Tremendous so Phenominal? Buddy Rich is like studying the hardest math problem?? you can sit you can stare and you can learn and listen? You buy this set of Mosaic you will educate yourself into hearing the God Given Talent of Buddy Rich. There is not one drummer out there yesterday today or tomorrow or can come close to Buddy Rich. Buy this set of Mosaics and Gradutate from Drum College of Jazz and Percussion. This set is more than a FIVE Star Rating. Its a One Hundred Seventy Seven Thousand Star Rating. Anything by Buddy Rich is Tremendous.
A Jazz Drummer's Paradise
If you are a Jazz drummer, buy this set, go directly to Disc V, track 3, "A Night in Tunisia," fast forward to 3.21 minutes, sit back and listen to two plus minutes of one of the most fantastic drum solos ever conceived, let alone recorded. Buddy's playing throughout is beyond words. After listening to all of it, try not to think about burning your drum sticks.
The best chance ever to hear this music the way it was recorded
Once again, Mosaic sets the standard for reissue sets. No one does it as well or offers as much value in their collections. A lot of this material was recorded at my father's two recording studios and I can assure fellow fans that there has never been an opportunity short of sitting in the control room to hear these recordings at this fidelity level. Only one quibble, I wish Mosaic had included Buddy's one big band album for Mercury. I can see why they chose not to include Buddy's vocal attempt, "The Voice Is Rich," but the big band date was great, done at the same time as "Rich Vs. Roach." Most important is Buddy Rich's amazing, facile and musical playing. For a guy who hit a lot of beats, he sure placed them well. Rarely does a listener who's not a drum-centric person feel like there's too much show-boating. The feeling is more like "wow, that guy can play the skins off anything!"
I can't complain
This is great! stuff! You couldn't have a better example of neglected music from the thirties or any decade. All jazz people who are fans of something that swings need to hear this musicAs a drummer myself, I've been hoping for this material for some time. It's excellent stuff! All of it I mean.
Excellent Album with Good Diversity of Groups
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I had previously owned very little contained in this album. It has been a revelation. The sessions run the gamut from quite small to fairly large groups. The Buddy Rich solos are excellent, but not overwhelming in number. The other artists involved are mainly very well known (Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles, "Sweets" Edison, Frank Wess, Oscar Peterson, Dave McKenna, etc.). It is hard to say which is the best session, but I lean to the one recorded live in 1957. The usual excellent sound and informative booklet add to the enjoyment. Highly recommended! Don Seitas; Mill Valley,CA
Worth the wait!
At last, all this stuff in one place. I have most of the titles on LP and not only does this save me the task of transferring the LP's to CD, but the recordings are clean and scratch free.The music and soloists are first rate, but to have so much of Buddy's magic on the drums in one place is nothing short of fantastic. His speed, clarity and drive have never been matched, and even the best drummers today can't match this guy's talent and abilities. As a former drummer, I can see what he is doing but even after several plays the solos are still fresh, powerful and unmatched in speed, and his precision and ability to navigate the drum set put him in a class of ONE! This collection was worth waiting for.
Buddy Rich for PRESIDENT!!!!
Here is nothing left to say! SWINGING STUFF!!!!
Fantastic!
Great box set. I like the packaging, it's like an old LP box set. There is a large amount of material to go through and some great playing by all the musicians. I did notice that some of the pics in the book are dated incorrectly but hey I know the difference, no big deal. I've read there are too many solos, then why are you buying a BUDDY RICH box set for? All in all I am very pleased!
Classic Argo, Emarcy, and Verve Small Group Buddy Rich Sessions
Even though I had everything on this CD set in either vinyl or tape form, this was a must have box set for me to obtain! The quality of the recordings is simply impeccable and of of course the artists are equally fantastic. I can't offer any other comments on the performances that have been thus far reported. Buddy is at the top of his form in all venues here and any fan of Rich should add this set to their collection. The only other comments that I feel noteworthy is that the 1955 promotional photo of Buddy in the booklet is in reality, probably 1945/46 and he passed away on April 2nd, 1987 not April 1st as reported. Trivial matters but accurate just the same. Charley Braun
Fantastic
Congratulations again for that perfect réedition. Great Combo-Jazz of one of the true giants! Sometimes people are telling that his drumsolos were to long, I think that this was only in his early days, when he was young and eager, later, he had everthing under top controll, listen to the sessions "the driver" and specially "Blues caravan". And then that intro-battle with Oscar on the "the Monster", - I dont know if this tempo is heaven or hell or booth of it, but it is JAZZ as it should be played. (I think this was a moment when Norman in the controllromm led his newspaper down!). And all this fellows around him: Sweets, Flip, Big Ben, Jimmy Rowles, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Sam Most, Mike Mainieri, Dave McKenna, Benny Carter...unforgettable music! Thanks to Mosaic-Records, we have back that all again! kind regards Peter Fricker, Switzerland
I've waited decades for this set!
This is the 1st time a truly comprehensive box set has been assembled on Buddy Rich. I too own most of all of the material here on LP. To think that all of this material is now remastered by the superb engineers at Mosaic is quite exciting indeed. Of course, Mosaic has seen to it that this set is “complete”, as is all of their sets, so I am looking forward to the alternate takes and unissued tracks. Buddy used only the best sidemen in these recordings and this set is sure to swing you into oblivion. I have never heard a painfully long and boring drum solo by Buddy Rich. (or by the great Louie Bellson for that matter) When he played a long solo it was always a development of inventive ideas accompanied by technical and musical chops that drummers can only dream of having. Yes, he did have certain hooks and licks that he incorporated in his solos but each solo was uniquely different, being a master composition unto itself. He set the bar so high that he was a one of a kind…never to be matched but always studied by any serious drummer. It doesn’t hurt that he started playing and being a featured part of his parents act (and breadwinner of the family) at 18 MONTH old! It also didn’t hurt that he had a true photographic memory. He heard something just once and he owned it, note for note. This box set is long overdue. I expect that even at 10,000 copies it won’t last long since it will be a “must have” for every drummer as well as fans of Ben Webster, Frank Rosolino, Sweets Edison, Oscar Peterson, and so many other master jazzmen that are featured here. This is truly an embarrassment of “Rich”es (pun intended). Order your set now before you have to pay 3 or 4 times the retail price on eBay after it’s out of print. Yes, this is one of THOSE sets. Andy Weis
An Abundance of Riches
I am writing this review in advance of the Mosaic release because I have all but one of the lps contained in this set. There can be no doubt that Buddy Rich was one of jazz's greatest drummers. Unfortunately, like other great drummers (Louis Bellson and Art Blakey included) Buddy had a tendency to show off his talent with painfully long and boring drum solos on most of his records. There is no shortage of such bravado here. However, Buddy usually used one or two songs on an album as a drum showcase, allowing his sidemen to shine on the other tunes. There are plenty of great sidemen on these records. "This One's For Basie" is a classic album filled with some of the Count's best musicians and is truly in the Basie style. The album with Harry Edison is another classic. To make a long story short, there is plenty of great small band swing here. And if epic drum solos aren't your thing, it's easy enough to skip over them with a cd player. Jim Adashek

Personnel: Buddy Rich (drums); Bill Pittman, Freddie Green, Barney Kessel (guitar); Sam Most (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone); Sonny Criss, Willie Smith, Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Flip Phillips, Frank Wess, Georgie Auld, Seldon Powell, Tom Brown , Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Bob Poland, Bob Lawson, Buddy Collette (baritone saxophone); Conrad Gozzo, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Marky Markowitz, Pete Candoli, Rolf Ericson, Thad Jones (trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Willie Dennis , Bob Enevoldsen (trombone); Dave McKenna, Gerald Wiggins, Jimmy Rowles, Johnny Morris , Oscar Peterson, Ronnie Ball (piano); Mike Mainieri (vibraphone, marimba); Joe Mondragon, John Simmons , Peter Ind, Ray Brown , Richard Evans , Joe Comfort, Wyatt Ruther (bass instrument).