LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Originally released by Mercury Records in 1959, Rich Versus Roach brings together two of jazz’s most influential and technically accomplished drummers. Buddy Rich and Max Roach appear with their respective quintets in a carefully designed stereo recording that places Rich’s group in the left channel and Roach’s ensemble in the right.

Rather than simply presenting an extended drum battle, the album gives both musicians a complete instrumental setting in which to display their contrasting approaches. Rich’s explosive speed and tightly controlled swing are balanced by Roach’s melodic phrasing, rhythmic invention and deep connection to modern bebop. The separation between the two groups allows listeners to follow each drummer individually while hearing the ensembles interact as a single expanded unit.

Buddy Rich is joined by alto saxophonist Phil Woods, trombonist Willie Dennis, pianist John Bunch and bassist Phil Leshin. Max Roach’s group features trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, trombonist Julian Priester and bassist Bobby Boswell. Gigi Gryce’s arrangements provide ample room for the horns while keeping the two rhythm sections in constant dialogue.

“Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” opens the album with a direct reference to the great swing-era drum showcases, transformed here through a more modern small-group arrangement. “The Casbah” and “Sleep” combine hard-bop writing with alternating instrumental passages, while “Figure Eights” places Rich and Roach at the centre of an extended exchange.

The second side moves from the lyrical standard “Yesterdays” to Charlie Parker’s energetic “Big Foot.” “Limehouse Blues” gives both groups another opportunity for rapid ensemble interaction before “Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye” closes the record with a playful but technically formidable performance.

More than a demonstration of speed and power, Rich Versus Roach documents two very different rhythmic personalities working within the same musical framework. The result remains one of the most entertaining and unusual drummer-led jazz albums of the late 1950s.

Track listing:

Side A
A1. Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) – 4:06
A2. The Casbah – 4:25
A3. Sleep – 3:15
A4. Figure Eights – 4:26

Side B
B1. Yesterdays – 4:15
B2. Big Foot – 4:59
B3. Limehouse Blues – 3:42
B4. Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye – 3:50