Buddy Rich & Max Roach: Rich Versus Roach CD Track Listing

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Buddy Rich & Max Roach Rich Versus Roach (1959)
1986 Polygram Records, Inc. / Mercury Records\n\nOriginally Released 1959\nCD Edition Released 1986\nRemastered CD Edition Released July 1, 1991\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Definitive battle of the drummers from 1959. CD has four bonus cuts. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nBuddy smokes 'em all, February 24, 2004\nReviewer: Frank (Pennsylvania) \nThis recording shows Buddy's technique at his finest in my opinion. How do I know? Well, I AM a drummer and realize exactly what it takes to play the things he does, plus I have many of his recordings both before and after this one. People seeing this album, buy it for what is is: a battle of drums between two jazz giants of the era. Don't give me the crap that Max is more subtle or fits in better compositionally with his style. That's a matter of musical preference depending on one's taste for drumming. The real deal here is flat-out technique and Buddy blows all challengers away. Max's solos are predictable and involve the same stock licks he is famous for. You can hear 'em on his early work with Clifford Brown in the 50's and afterwards. Rich, by contrast has more of a vocabulary when soloing. Given the fact that Rich's forte is big band drumming with all the explosiveness that entails, don't buy this album if you are looking for cutesy small taps here and there to comp a sax, piano, trumpet or trombone player. Unfortunately, though, Max's drum sounds weak on here compared to Rich's as a result of the snare drum he was using (I know because I have a vintage set like his) as well as recording techniques. But hey, I became a fan of Max's from this early recording when I got it on vinyl in 1960. The CD version has alternate takes of some of the tunes which are interesting.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nRich in one ear and Roach in the other equals MAGIC, October 21, 2002\nReviewer: Kevin Nieman (Thousand Oaks, CA United States)\nI have always been fascinated by the tribal lure of the drum, and Buddy Rich has always been the pre-eminent drum virtuoso of all time, in my opinion. \nYes, there are those who dislike Rich's bombastic playing as opposed to Max Roach's more calm and intellectual approach to his instrument. I cannot argue with that other than to say that this CD is a perfect example of both men's styles. Rich pounds the drums like a madman, and Roach plays them like a lover. Rich exhudes flash and fireworks, and Roach embraces subtlety and a carefully placed silence. Both men hammer out their styles like professionals, and some may say that it comes out as a draw.\n\nWhatever your personal taste is regarding these two drum masters, this is a CD that drum fans and jazz fans can enjoy for generations to come. The debate over who was the better drummer will never be solved, but at least we can hear these two jazz giants battle it out, knowing that they were loving every minute of it.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nMAX IS THE BETTER DRUMMER!!, April 21, 2002\nReviewer: "torresjazz" (Brighton, MA United States)\nWEll, you can see from the previous debate that this is a good album, otherwise it wouldn't arouse such passion on the part of its listeners. Despite a very rude statement below by a Rich fan I am going to be very objective and give a proper evalutation. Can anyone in his or her right mind say that Rich is not AMAZING?? Of course not. But they are both amazing drummers, so lets cut to the chase. It is true that Rich gets the upper and on "figure eights". In fact, Max seems either fairly uninspired by this format (no music in this tune at all, just drums, and Max tends to be a melodic drummer who listens to the melody and texture of a tune) or daunted by Rich's verstility (which shines on this number). But I say again, Max is the more complexe drummer. Again, listen to "sing sing sing" (which the guy who yells so much keeps avoiding). Rich's single stroke roles are amazing, but it seems the only trick in his bag in this set. When its roach's turn, he immediately states a rythmic theme and then pauses for silence, which is stunning, and then DEVELOPS that theme both rythmically and melodically, really getting much more dynamics and texture out his set than Rich could have even imagined. In fact, in the first take, Roach's solo is so rythmically comlex with its stops and starts and subdivisions of the bars, that RICH's band is unsure when to come in again (not used to such rythmic daring) and they come in early, offbeat, and not in unison, so they had, or course, ot do another take. There is a reason it was Max who invented subtle and free bee-bop drumming and not Rich, who is ultimately a powerhouse big band drummer. At the end of the day, if you like speed and agressive flashiness, Rich is your man. If you like complexity and thoughtfully contructed but daring playing, Roach is your man. Rich could never had played duos with Cecil Taylor or Archie Chepp; let's just face it. He's not that kind drummer. I'm not going to shoot myself over it either. Rich is great. My dad is a drummer and he's my dad's hero, too. The old guys will love Rich, and rightly so. But jazz druming has moved on, and so should we.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nDon't count Out Gigi!!, January 27, 2002\nReviewer: "torresjazz" (Brighton, MA United States)\nI don't agree with the consensus that there isn't good music here. True, drums are dead-center in this set. But Gigi Gryce arranged all the music and it is all beautiful. Listen to Phil Woods backed by Rich go up against S. turrentine backed by Roach and tell me that this isn't exciting music. Moreover, the drums engage in fascinating dialogue more than straght out competition. Liston to sing sing sing, a beautifully full and rich statement of the theme frames two extended solos, first Rich's break neck snare work and then Max's more thoughtful and complex rythms (his use of silence and space is striking in relation to Rich's relentless roles). Ultimately Roach makes Rich looks a bit simplistic and outdated, but Rich's speed keeps him in the running, and throughout the music they swing away. I'm not a drummer and i give it 5 stars as a great overlooked classic.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nHardcore Drum Porn, August 8, 1998\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis is an album for drummers and extreme drum lovers only, who would likely give this record five stars. All others would be advised to consider Buddy's work with Dizzy Gillespie for jazz music which is better rounded. Max's fans should seek out Sonny Rollins' 1958 classic Saxaphone Collossus. "Figure Eights" is a drums-only track which showcases Buddy's blinding speed an Max's resourcefulness on the toms. The artists play no-frills, four piece set ups, so what you get is a 64 minute blast of drum set virtuosity without any gimmicks. Recorded in the 50's, both artists are at the top of their form. So who wins this drum battle? Buddy's the better technician, but Max is the better musician.\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nThe Buddy Rich Quintet: Buddy Rich (drums), Phil Woods (alto saxophone),Willie Dennis (trombone), John Bunch (piano) and Phil Leshin (bass).\n\nThe Max Roach Quintet: Max Roach (drums), Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Tommy Turrentine (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone) and Bobby Boswell (bass).\n\nDigitally remastered from the original stereo tapes by Kiyoshi Tokiwa (Nippon Phonogram). \nIncludes liner notes by Jack Tracy.\n\nThis "battle of the bands" gives us the Buddy Rich Quintet in the left channel "versus" the Max Roach Quintet in the right channel.
This jazz cd contains 12 tracks and runs 53min 52sec.
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