so often i am asked, "what was it like to play with buddy rich and his band?"

let me tell you, it was one of the best experiences i ever had. being ten-years-old and given an opportunity to play for buddy and to be given a chance to perform with buddy's band and to know you were respected and very well treated by buddy rich himself was an honor in itself.

it was july 24, 1969, the apollo 11 astronauts splashed down after a triumphant journey to the moon. armstrong, aldrin, and collins did it, or should i say america and nasa did it, landing a man on the moon and returning them safely to earth.

but, that night, july 24, 1969, my father's band, "j" and the contours, were performing at the welwood lounge in eynon, pennsylvania, and the main attraction was buddy rich and the buddy rich band.

i went with my dad because i was scheduled to do a drum solo there on the band's intermission. i remember walking in the welwood lounge and seeing buddy's slingerland drum set set up and staring constantly at his 24-inch bass drum and his two 16x16 floor toms plus his 20-inch medium "a" zildjian ride. i guess you can say i was like a kid in a candy store. i played the "rogers" version of the buddy rich drum set.

anyway, i couldn't wait to meet buddy again. the first time i met him was at basin st. east, in new york city. dusty springfield was his opening act. and it was great meeting her also. so, i went downstairs and was going the wrong direction and stumbled into his dressing room. he was sitting on a chair talking to some people and when he saw me he had a big smile on his face and said, "hey kid, i can't wait to see you play." i said, "ok," and tried to leave because i didn't want to bother him since he was talking to people. he grabbed my arm and said "maybe you can play a tune with my band." again, being as nervous as i was, i again said, "ok." someone in the room said, "the boy doesn't talk much, does he?"

i remember buddy's band getting ready to play. buddy got on his set. he was calm, cool, and collected, gave me a smile and a wink, gave out the number to the tune they were to play, and the band started with buddy playing the hi-hat and counting the 4-count and the whole band exploded. what power! buddy and his band went through about seven numbers and then he got off his drum set, grabbed the mircophone, and started talking and telling jokes to the audience. just when you thought he was going back to play, he said over the microphone, "hey, angie, is the kid ready to play?" my dad said, "yeah, just let me get his set adjusted." buddy said, "no, he is using mine. get up here kid." he asked, "are you alright?" i said, "yes." he said, "good, get back there."

so, i went back behind buddy's set. that slingerland set was just fabulous. his snare drum was tuned so perfectly. it had a crisp snap to the sound. what a feel on that snare drum. wow! the only part of that drum set that wasn't slingerland was his foot pedal. it was a rogers. it was so perfect for my foot. it wasn't tight or loose. it had a perfect balance. the bass drum had a real pop to it. it was tuned low. so, i am behind the set and he says, "ok, kid. let's hear you." i played a few sixteenth notes with four-stroke ruffs and flew around the set. it was about 20 to 25 seconds.

buddy let me get comfortable on his set. after that, he asked, "what song do you want to play?" i immediately said, "west side story." the place erupted in laughter. i really wanted to do that number. buddy stood there laughing hysterically. he told me, "no. i can't even play it, so i'm not letting you do it. what else?" so, i said, "mercy mercy mercy" and the audience applauded.

buddy said, "ok," and we went into doing it. buddy stood in front of the band as i started out the song to bring them in. about a quarter of the way into the song i really felt the groove. i started driving his set and the band really got into it. it felt so good to play with so many of buddy's talented musicians. buddy sat right at the table with my parents and grandparents. i remember so distinctly the big smile he had on his face as the band and i played. i do remember when the song was over, he jumped up onto the stage, shook my hand, and i got a hug. i did receive a standing ovation and he made me take a bow to the three corners of the room. buddy told the audience i was the youngest talent he had ever seen and was joking with me from the stage.

buddy went back behind his set and was teasing me in his own way, the sticks flew out of his hands. he picked up another pair and he jokingly lost those. someone in the audience yelled out. "let the kid play. he's better than you!" whoever that was, i wish he didn't say that because buddy got a little angry. he didn't say anything, but he a gave a look to kill.

he proceeded to go into a solo with the song "bugle call rag" and brought the band in. the band was excellent, powerful, and buddy just drove that song. accented with another solo, buddy finished off the night with "west side story" and brought the house down. buddy rich was a drummer's drummer! to me, and a lot of professional drummers, he can make you leave a place where he was playing with your head on backwards. there has been no one like buddy rich since.

i did perform with his band many, many times since that night up until 1972 and i really enjoyed doing "mercy mercy Mercy" and other tunes such as "norwegian wood", "greensleeves", and yes, the ending of "west side story" (and i mean the ending where buddy comes out of his solo and the band comes in on the ending. i do remember him saying to me, "don't ever say i didn't let you do "west side story", ok, kid?" and many times he let me do my drum solos on his drum set.

forty years later i still have his drum sticks which he autographed for me. but, time has eroded some of his signature.

buddy rich was always kind to me and my dad. yes, he yelled at me a couple of times because i had readjusted his hi-hat stand or accidentally stepped on his shoes and i also knocked a candy bar out of his hand. but, i learned a lot. talking to him was a learning experience. he gave me a life experience, which i understood so greatly as i got a lot older. his words of wisdom were brilliant. i hold it in my heart even today. he knew i could play, and as he said, "just keep doing it, kid."

in december, 1986, my father went to see buddy play. buddy asked him where "the kid" was. my dad told him, "he brought his daughter home from the hospital." his reply to my dad was, "so, the kid had a kid?" i was hoping to see buddy again, but, as life has it, he passed away in april, 1987.

today, i still have the memories, photos, autographs, drum sticks, and his words of encouragement and wisdom, just as i have with my dad, angelo stella.

whatever it is you want to do with your life . . . do it. and when they say you can't . . . do it more!