Sing Sing Sing
Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa
Rich and Krupa have a drum battle in 1966
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Gene Krupa (1909-73) was the first superstar drummer and a matinee idol while Buddy Rich (1917-87) was absolutely phenomenal.
Starting in the 1950s, Krupa and Rich were occasionally featured together in drum battles.
This 1966 appearance on the Sammy Davis show finds Krupa playing in his likable and colorful style before Rich really cuts loose and brings the encounter to an entirely different level.
-Scott Yanow