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| 5.817 Ft
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| 1. | Nutville
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| 2. | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
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| 3. | New Blues
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| 4. | Airegin
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| 5. | How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
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| 6. | You Stepped Out of a Dream
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| 7. | Moment's Notice
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| 8. | Cool
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| 9. | Ya Gotta Try
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Jazz / Jazz-Funk, Fusion, Post-Bop
Steve Smith (drums)
Steve Marcus (soprano & tenor saxophones); Andy Fusco (alto saxophone); Lee Musiker (piano); Anthony Jackson (bass)
Virtuosity, bravado, warmth, attitude, musicality, inspiration, these are all words that have been used to describe the great Buddy Rich and his drumming. These are also words that could describe this recording and his creative band, which includes veterans Anthony Jackson, Steve Marcus, Andy Fusco and Lee Musiker. Buddy's Buddies is not only a coming home for the Buddy Rich alumni, but the completion of a circle for drummer Steve Smith (Vital Information, Steps Ahead) as well.
Although there have been many tributes to the late Buddy Rich, few have truly captured the explosive energy of the master drummer. Steve Smith, one of the most gifted all-around drummers in the world, admirably accepts the challenge presented by Rich's repertoire. He is joined by various past members of Rich's band, including Anthony Jackson, Lee Musiker, and Steve Marcus in an intimate small group, a setting in which Rich was a master. The result is a powerful performance that allows Smith to reveal his stunning technique and master musicianship while paying tribute to the greatest of them all. The blistering opener, "Nutville" is a raucous Latin/swing romp that sets up jaw-dropping solo spots by Marcus, Musiker, and Smith, the last of whom plays a smoking cadenza. Other Rich cuts include the Lennon/McCartney masterpiece "Norwegian Wood," here taken as a loping waltz; a steaming Afro-Cuban/swing reading of "Airegin"; and an intricate arrangement of Berstein's "Cool." Throughout, Smith effectively drives and guides the music with his trademark power and precision, producing one remarkable performance after another. The closing barnburner, "Ya Gotta Try," a favorite among Rich fans, is a fitting end to one of the most successful tributes to Rich's spirit yet.
When thinking of drummer Buddy Rich, the first thing that comes to mind is a screaming big band propelled by the master. However, Rich also recorded in small group settings, and it's this facet of the drum legend's musical personality that Steve Smith and his friends explore on this CD. Teaming up with four alumni of the Buddy Rich band from the 1970s and '80s, Smith takes on the difficult task of filling Rich's drum chair for this impressive set. It's great to hear saxophonist Steve Marcus cooking again. He and alto saxophonist Andy Fusco provide the perfect frontline, blending seamlessly on the ensemble passages, then taking off in their distinctive solo styles. Marcus gets out there on his soprano and tenor while Fusco locks in closer, only to rise on "Airegin." Pianist Lee Musiker shows talent that deserves wider recognition, providing a fat chordal underpinning one moment and soaring through an inventive solo the next. Bassist Anthony Jackson brings impressive credentials to the gig and delivers a solid bottom throughout. Steve Smith shines in each setting, never aping Rich directly, yet still conjuring images of Rich (and the great Billy Cobham as well) with his facile, polyrhythmic yet swinging approach. His brushwork will surprise those who think of Smith only as a high-energy rock and fusion drummer. The choice of material is good, with a number of mostly familiar pieces mingled among a couple of lesser-known chestnuts. This was one of the best small group jazz recordings of 1999, overlooked perhaps as a mere "tribute" recording. This album actually offers a smoking set of great music by a quintet that sounds like they've been playing together for years. ~ Jim Newsom, All Music Guide
Steve Smith
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Aug 21, 1954 in Brockton, MA
Genre: Jazz
In addition to serving as the drummer of one of the all-time definitive arena rock acts, Journey (during their most successful period from the late '70s through the early '80s), Steve Smith has also played with a wide range of other artists. Born on August 21, 1954 in Brockton, MA, Smith began drumming at the age of nine, when he took lessons from respected big-band drummer and instructor Bill Flanagan. Subsequently, Smith played a variety of musical styles (swing, R&B, hard rock, fusion, big band, etc.), and enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In October of 1976, Smith signed on with jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, touring as a member of his band, and appearing on the album Enigmatic Ocean (1977). After briefly serving as the drummer for Ronnie Montrose's band in 1978, Smith was invited to join Journey, who were in the midst of a musical switch -- from fusion to arena rock. The group couldn't have picked a better-suited (and versatile) drummer than Smith, as he manned the kit on such mega-hit albums as Evolution (1979), Departure (1980), Escape (1981), and Frontiers (1983), during which time Journey became one of the U.S.' most successful rock bands.
But at the peak of Journey's success, Smith was fired by singer Steve Perry (who supposedly wanted to go in a more "soulful" direction). Undeterred, Smith shifted his attention to the more musically challenging and varied outfit Vital Information, which he had founded in 1983 while still a member of Journey. Vital Information issued albums on a regular basis throughout the '80s (including such standout titles as Global Beat and Live Around the World: Where We Come from Tour 1998-1999, among others). He also joined the all-star jazzrock outfit Steps Ahead in 1986 and stayed with them until 1993. Smith joined a reunited Journey (who had been on hiatus since 1987) during the late '90s, resulting in a brand new studio album, Trial by Fire (1996), and a proposed world tour. But on the eve of the tour, Perry discovered that he had a degenerative hip condition, and the tour was ultimately scrapped entirely. In addition to his recording with Journey and Vital Information, Smith has either recorded or toured with Steps Ahead, Randy Brecker, Allan Holdsworth, Frank Gambale, Stanley Clarke, Mariah Carey, Ahmad Jamal, Stuart Hamm, Tony MacAlpine, Dweezil Zappa, Y&T, and many others. Smith also enjoys helping other drummers, as he has given clinics all over the world throughout the years (even issuing an instructional video in 1987), and was voted "Number One All-Around Dummer" in Modern Drummer Magazine's reader's poll from 1987 though 1991. In 2001, Modern Drummer again voted for Smith, but this time he was among one of the Top 25 Drummers of All Time; the next year the magazine voted Smith into their Hall of Fame.
Among Vital Information's most notable albums of the '90s and 2000s are Vitalive! (1991), Easier Done Than Said (1992), Ray of Hope (1996), Show 'Em Where You Live (2002), and Come on In (2004).
---Greg Prato, All Music Guide |
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