Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-03-26 23:14
Paul,
It was my dream to play and tour on Buddy's band and my dream came true. It was a new all NYC band, and I was the "the guy from Milwaukee." We are all familiar with the Buddy band tapes, and the verbal attacks we got in dressing rooms and on the bus, but most of that was his frustration of not playing at the level he wanted. When the band was on it was magic, and Buddy was happy. Everyone got fired at one time or another, but I think everyone who played with him had a deep respect for his ability to play drums, and fire up a band like nobody else could. Symphony conductors have been known to be tyrants too, but also be able to bring out the best performances. Consider that Buddy was performing on stage when he was 1 1/2 years old, a star by the age of 8, and the 2nd highest paid child in show business in the country back then. He never had a childhood like most kids have, and spent his life on the road. He finally mellowed in later years, but I never saw any musician who could even come close to him on a drum set. He was the only true genius I ever met. Benny Goodman had a reputation for "the stare", and could be just as demanding as Buddy. The difference between Benny and Buddy was Benny was always practicing, and I never saw Buddy practice, he just sat down and played at a level beyond anyone.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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