Drum Battle – Early 1960s
Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich
Two of the greatest battle it out
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In the mid-1950s for a Jazz At The Philharmonic tour, producer Norman Granz featured a drum battle between Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich that always excited audiences.
Krupa was the first superstar drummer and the most popular while Rich had phenomenal technique and was arguably the greatest ever.
While Rich could slaughter Krupa in any tradeoff, he usually held back a little because Krupa had been one of his early musical heroes and he had great respect for Krupa’s trailblazing in the 1920s and ‘30s.
The two drummers are featured on this clip from an early 1960s Sammy Davis Jr. television special, taking their turns and playing in their own styles.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald