Gregg Potter and the Buddy Rich Orchestra

[Ron_M]

An embarrassing mismatch, and a real shame. I'm sure that was torture for the rest of the band.

 

[old_K_ride]

Wow you guys are a tough crowd...

Greg certainly isn't the first celebrity to play the concert and be out of his element (Neil Peart anyone?) The object of the concert is to raise money to send promising young drummers to college, and if the fish out of water drummers can help accomplish that then so be it. Personally I admire guys who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and risk embarassment in the name of a greater cause.

As to the relationship between Greg and Cathy... respectfully, that's no one's business but theirs.

not to get into a female part for tat but Neil Peart is a big name and bankrolled the Buddy Rich Tribute CD.
if you advertise that he's going to be playing on the bill then expect lots of seats to be filled due to that whether he has the jazz acumen or not.
GP's name on a concert bill with Dave Weckl playing as well isn't going to generate one extra ticket being sold.If anything it's going to generate the question of :
" who is Greg Potter " to most.To be advised of his personal relationship involving the daughter of a drumming legend/icon adds an unseemly air,imho.
anybody remember Steve Arnold?


TR

 

[K.O.]

Wow you guys are a tough crowd...

Greg certainly isn't the first celebrity to play the concert and be out of his element (Neil Peart anyone?) The object of the concert is to raise money to send promising young drummers to college, and if the fish out of water drummers can help accomplish that then so be it. Personally I admire guys who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and risk embarassment in the name of a greater cause.

If this were a one time deal then there would be plenty of room to let it slide and give him some slack for being out of his element on a song or two...but as I understand it there is now a Buddy Rich Band you can hire to play at your event...and when you do this is the drummer you will get

 

[old_K_ride]

Wow you guys are a tough crowd...

Greg certainly isn't the first celebrity to play the concert and be out of his element (Neil Peart anyone?) The object of the concert is to raise money to send promising young drummers to college, and if the fish out of water drummers can help accomplish that then so be it. Personally I admire guys who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and risk embarassment in the name of a greater cause.

If this were a one time deal then there would be plenty of room to let it slide and give him some slack for being out of his element on a song or two...but as I understand it there is now a Buddy Rich Band you can hire to play at your event...and when you do this is the drummer you will get

I wonder if GP will berate the band in the dressing room between sets , too
I kid I kid!!!
TR

 

[Morello]

Then again ....

Maybe she's pretty sharp.

Having him occupy that chair does a couple of things...

It lets her generate an income stream from a Buddy Rich ghost band.

It lets her do so without any risk (whatsoever) of the drummer in the band ever being favorably compared to what her father did. A risk she might take with someone who tried to emulate Buddy's playing....if that someone were a little too good.

And it makes her boyfriend happy to front the band, while at the same time puts her in a dominant position since she controls his "gig".

Just thinking out loud...If the Buddy Rich band comes near my town I don't think I'll bother to go see them under the current situation....now if Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies came around that would be a different story.

Of all the comment I have read on this subject over recent days I believe these observations are arguably the most perceptive and insightful of any.

Remember Buddy's feuds with various drummers; Barrett Deems, Butch Miles to name but two. Not to mention his virulent and inappropriate criticism of Billy Cobham and Tony Williams (Downbeat, April 1974 if you're interested).

My belief is that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree in this instance.
Furthermore the Buddy Rich big band without Buddy Rich seems doomed to failure by definition. It's a very good book of music which I would enjoy hearing again under the right circumstances. Not a note for note replication of BR's solos, nor a fusion chops fest, moreover for somebody to recapture the energy, swing and drive that Buddy brought to the table. He himself often said that was what mattered and the soloing was of lesser importance.

I don't know offhand how many hours a day GP practices but we may be waiting sometime.

 

[old_K_ride]

Remember Buddy's feuds with various drummers; Barrett Deems, Butch Miles to name but two. Not to mention his virulent and inappropriate criticism of Billy Cobham and Tony Williams (Downbeat, April 1974 if you're interested).

I picked up an old Downbeat on eBay with BR on the cover. He was brutal toward then Maynard Ferguson drummer,Randy Jones, saying he sounded like a paraplegic or something to that affect...really nasty...

 

[jmpd_utoronto]

It wasn't quite as much of a train wreck as I was expecting after reading the posts, but it's pretty clear that, at the most generous, there are some...ah... Subtleties of style that are lost on GP. The awkward banter about the towel didn't help either.

jamie

 

[Lorenzo1950]

Not only is the drumming inappropriate, the camera work gave me a headache.

 

[DanC]

The hair, the clothes, the playing, all scream 'wrong!' to me....

He has some skill, but it's an awful mismatch.


In the clip with Gadd, notice that even when he hits hard there is still finesse on display.

 

[thin shell]

I just went back and watched the Neil Peart's two performances with the original memorial concert and the one in 2008.

He said in an interview that he had a very hard time hearing the band at the first one and the he had to just do the best that he could. Not the greatest performance but way better than this current incarnation especially considering he couldn't hear the band.

The 2008 performance paled in comparison (I thought it was pretty awful actually) but was still much better than GP.

Sadly, sometimes family members are not the best ones to carry on someone's legacy and I think that is definitely the case here.

I don't see any way Buddy would have been happy with this ghost band given his vocal disdain for other contemporary drummers of his day.

Say what you will about Neil's swing playing, he has done more to further Buddy's legacy than just about anyone. He truly loves Buddy and all of his efforts were meant to keep the legacy alive.

My daughter loves the Burning for Buddy album and has most of it on her main playlist on her ipod. She's 10 by the way.

 

[Morello]

Remember Buddy's feuds with various drummers; Barrett Deems, Butch Miles to name but two. Not to mention his virulent and inappropriate criticism of Billy Cobham and Tony Williams (Downbeat, April 1974 if you're interested).

I picked up an old Downbeat on eBay with BR on the cover. He was brutal toward then Maynard Ferguson drummer,Randy Jones, saying he sounded like a paraplegic or something to that affect...really nasty...

Same edition I think. Cover photo of Buddy looks like he's wearing a cycling helmet. He'd just lost the DB poll to Billy C and I suspect DB were looking for a scoop. As for his comments about Randy Jones, just shameful. Great player, with Brubeck as well as Maynard.

 

[Morello]

I happen to know that C Rich has serious issues with this guy.
Sorry about the video quality but these clips are a bit old....

 

[K.O.]

Mister...I am the band

A "ghost" band is a way Cathy can make some more money off her dad's legacy (which he would probably approve of) but really?...that band was all about Buddy. Without Buddy it's the Buddy Rich Band in name only. To sit on that particular throne should involve meeting some pretty high criteria...but...Any drummer who could realistically pull it off should probably be fronting their own band...and seeing the band with a drummer who doesn't make the grade seems rather pointless.

What it might be good for would be a stepping stone gig for young, really good, but unkown jazz drummers fresh out of college music programs, which is kind of what that band did for the other instruments back when Buddy was in charge and he had a lot of young guys pass through his ranks. But, as I mentioned in my earlier post, then you run the risk that maybe someone who's especially good might get compared a little too favorably to the original.

 

[old_K_ride]

Without Buddy it's the Buddy Rich Band in name only. To sit on that particular throne should involve meeting some pretty high criteria...but...

slightly OT but I've been in the presence of two of BR's Slingerland sets including the throne/case and was told I could sit down and play'em if I wanted to. I declined both times out of respect to Buddy.
TR

 

[rogersfreek]

Clearly, Greg Potter is a hard rock style drummer. He seems to always be using his cymbals. He does not listen

to the band, as far as playing WITH the other musicians. I'd like to know what genius promoter arranged this.

This is a great example of a mismatched musicians. it's a horrible attempt.

 

[Morello]

Clearly, Greg Potter is a hard rock style drummer. He seems to always be using his cymbals. He does not listen

to the band, as far as playing WITH the other musicians. I'd like to know what genius promoter arranged this.

This is a great example of a mismatched musicians. it's a horrible attempt.

The show was the brainchild of a drummer in London who approached Cathy Rich with a proposal. Potter came as a mandatory part of the deal; take it or leave it.

 

[Morello]

Mister...I am the band

A "ghost" band is a way Cathy can make some more money off her dad's legacy (which he would probably approve of) but really?...that band was all about Buddy. Without Buddy it's the Buddy Rich Band in name only. To sit on that particular throne should involve meeting some pretty high criteria...but...Any drummer who could realistically pull it off should probably be fronting their own band...and seeing the band with a drummer who doesn't make the grade seems rather pointless.

Right on the money once again!

 

[drums147]

I happen to know that C Rich has serious issues with this guy.
Sorry about the video quality but these clips are a bit old....

Not that my opinion means a hill of beans, but I hope you mean she is thinking of replacing him . . . .

I see some people say GP is a great drummer, but I had never even heard of him before this . . . who did he play for (with) of any prominence?

As far as I am concerned the emperor is naked . . . NAD

 

[Donn]

YOU KNOW HOW SOME PEOPLE ALWAYS USE CAPS WHEN THEY WRITE ON THE COMPUTER? THAT'S HOW GP SOUNDS IN THAT VIDEO CLIP.

 

[K.O.]

I see some people say GP is a great drummer, but I had never even heard of him before this . . . who did he play for (with) of any prominence?

He was a Slingerland endorser back in the early 80's. Not sure who he's played with other than he was in Chicago DJ Steve Dahl's (disco sucks) backing band at one point. He can play, but in this situation he seems to be turning out "hackwork" performances.