Buddy Rich was probably the finest
jazz drummer in the world. His heyday was the heyday of the big bands and
of the new jazz. This was mainly the decades of the forties, fifties, and
the earlier part of the sixties. His career began much earlier than this,
though. He was playing in his parents' vaudeville act back in the twenties,
as Traps the wonder drummer. A child prodigy, by the time he was three
he was a star; by the time he was eleven, he had his own band. He worked
with all of the legends, including Frank Sinatra, and made a number of
recordings. My father (George Pritchett) played guitar in his band back
in the late 60s/early 70s. The photos in this section were taken a couple
of years before the death of Buddy Rich in 1987. This was a performance
at the MIller Jazz Oases on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee, during
the festival. The band itself was wonderful, and Buddy Rich was, as always,
astonishing. It is a sad commentary on the lack of appreciation, and the
changing tastes of the public, that this was a secondary stage, rather
than the main one. I don't recall who the main stage act was on that summer
night so long ago, but I am certain that whatever it might have been, it
contained no where near the talent, skill, artistry, or professionalism
of the band I photographed on the Miller stage. This was one of the
last of the big bands, and I feel privileged to have been able to hear
it live.
The look, feel, and sound
of that evening concert was magical and memorable. It was a rather cool
summer night, and this was an out door stage with a large spectator area.
Benches and tables fanned out from the stage, and there was the typical
selection of beers, refreshments, and outdoor foods being sold by various
vendors. People sat, and ,milled around, eating and drinking; enjoying
the breeze while waiting for the band to appear. The show was scheduled
for 10:00. The band came out a bit early, the various members settling
themselves, before starting right on time. Buddy Rich came up to the front,
and introduced himself, along with the rest of the band, and then seated
himself behind the drums. He began to play, and counted out loud, giving
the rest of the band their cue, and then it started. The eating, and most
of the drinking stopped, as did all talking and milling around. This is
not to say that the crowd became calm, and quiet. Conversation was replaced
by an enthusiastic cheering, applause, and encouragement shouted up to
the band, and to the individual members during their solos. Those who are
used to the electronically amplified music performed by most rock and pop
groups these days, can't imagine the power of a big band with a strong
brass section. The music is felt as much as it is heard. Considering the
quality and intensity of the music being produced up on the stage that
night, I am surprised I managed to get any photographs at all, but I did
get a few.
The cameras used were an old
Canon FTb, and a Canon A-1, which was considered state of the art at the
time. The lenses used were a 50mm F 1.4, a 70-200mm F 4.0, and a 400mm
F5.6. The FTb is a manual mechanical camera, and I set the A-1 for manual
exposure. I took some spot readings of various parts of the stage, and
then turned my meters off, as under these lighting conditions the meters
are next to useless. These are some of my favorite pictures, and with the
possible exception of Oscar Peterson, and Ella Fitzgerald, this is probably
the finest group of musicians I have ever seen.