“The Jet Song” from West Side Story never sounded quite like this. On August 20, 1982 at the Frank Sinatra Concert for the Americas, at age 64, Buddy Rich performed what may have been one of the greatest drum solos by one of the greatest drummers ever. Wincing from chest pains, which caused him to go to the hospital afterword, he gave his usual flawless performance––once again demonstrating his fierce life force and love for the music.
This performance of “Hawaiian War Chant” was recorded on January 5, 1987. Just a few months later, on April 2, 1987 Buddy Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. He was 69 and maintained his unparalleled, life-long excellence right to the end. It’s hard to believe Buddy was self-taught and didn’t read music!
