SKF NOTE: Revisiting the transcript of my early 1980’s interview with Joe Morello today. Five or six times Joe Morello said some things about Buddy Rich which were new to me. I also found Joe’s remarks instructive and/or funny. I posted the remarks separately. This is the last one. Links to the first three are at the end of this post.

Joe sat through our entire interview with a pair of drumsticks, sitting near a coffee table on which he had a practice pad. In upcoming posts, Morello demonstrates points he was making about Buddy Rich’s playing. Joe did so playing on his practice pad.

Joe Morello: Buddy always seems to come up in the conversation…. But, when he was with Dorsey…, Buddy…would go to 52nd Street [in New York City] and Sid Catlett was playing there. He’d ask Buddy to sit in, and Buddy would get up and go [JM plays some fast licks].

Old Sidney would get up there and – he was so heavy – he’d just do a little drum thing, leave a lot of holes and things, and it use to frustrate the s**t out of Rich. He use to wig out. He’d be playing across the street doing all his gyrations, y’know.

….Buddy was just a young guy, maybe 27, and making a little name. He was always trying to get Krupa’s reputation.

Joe Morello on Buddy Rich Part 1
Joe Morello on Buddy Rich Part 2
Joe Morello on Buddy Rich Part 3  

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