Big Swing Face - Buddy Rich Big Band (1967) (1LP Vinyl, Mono 1st press) - Very Good Plus (VG+)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Sleeve Condition: Very Good (VG) (Spitting on side 1 which do not have any effect on play)

Condition Notes:

Big Swing Face by Buddy Rich Big Band.

Few drummers ever commanded a big band with the ferocity of Buddy Rich, and "Big Swing Face" catches him at full throttle. Fronting a powerhouse ensemble on Richard Bock's Pacific Jazz label, Rich turns every chart into a showcase for propulsive swing, punchy brass, and the kind of relentless energy that made his live sets legendary. This gatefold pressing carries catalog number PJ-10117 across its front, inside left, spine, and center labels, with the inside gatefold noting both ST-20117 for stereo and PJ-10117 for mono.

The program opens with a bold reinvention of Lennon and McCartney's "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," proof that Rich's band could bend contemporary pop into muscular big band gold. From there the title track, Bill Potts' "Big Swing Face," barrels ahead with the roaring section work and sizzling ride cymbal that give the record its name. "Monitor Theme" and the funky, groove-driven "Wack Wack" keep the first side crackling before Cole Porter's "Love For Sale" closes it with sophistication and heat.

Side two spreads the wings even wider. Harry Betts' "Mexicali Nose" and Bob Florence's "Willowcrest" offer contrasting colors, one loose and swaggering, the other richly arranged. Sonny Bono's "The Beat Goes On" gets the Rich treatment, transformed from radio hit into a hard-charging band feature, and the set caps off with the old chestnut "Bugle Call Rag," a barn-burning nod to the swing tradition that Rich carried forward into the modern era.

The band assembled here is stacked with talent. The reeds feature Ernie Watts and Quin Davis on alto, Jay Corre and Robert Keller on tenor, and Marty Flax anchoring on baritone, with Watts, Corre, and Keller doubling on flute for added texture. The brass burns bright behind Bobby Shew, Chuck Findley, John Scottile, and Yoshito Murakami on trumpets, and Jim Trimble and Ron Meyers on trombones, with Bill Wimberly rounding out the bottom on bass trombone.

Holding it all together is a nimble rhythm section: Ray Starling on piano, Richard Resnicoff on guitar, James Gannon on bass, and of course Rich himself driving the whole machine from the drum chair. Engineer Wally Heider captured the ensemble with clarity and punch, giving the sections room to snap while keeping Rich's kit front and center.

Presented in a handsome gatefold jacket with art direction by Woody Woodward, design by Gabor Halmos, photography by Fred Seligo, and liner notes by Herb Wong, "Big Swing Face" is a definitive statement from one of jazz's greatest bandleaders. A must-have for collectors who like their big band swing loud, tight, and unapologetically thrilling.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
A2. Big Swing Face
A3. Monitor Theme
A4. Wack Wack
A5. Love For Sale
B1. Mexicali Nose
B2. Willowcrest
B3. The Beat Goes On
B4. Bugle Call Rag

Credits:
Ernie Watts - Alto Saxophone
Quin Davis - Alto Saxophone
Woody Woodward - Art Direction
Marty Flax - Baritone Saxophone
James Gannon - Bass
Bill Wimberly - Bass Trombone
Gabor Halmos - Design
Buddy Rich - Drums
Wally Heider - Engineer
Ernie Watts - Flute
Jay Corre - Flute
Robert Keller - Flute
Richard Resnicoff - Guitar
Herb Wong - Liner Notes
Fred Seligo - Photography By
Ray Starling - Piano
Richard Bock - Producer
Jay Corre - Tenor Saxophone
Robert Keller - Tenor Saxophone
Jim Trimble - Trombone
Ron Meyers - Trombone
Bobby Shew - Trumpet
Chuck Findley - Trumpet
John Scottile - Trumpet
Yoshito Murakami - Trumpet
Baum-Giant-Kaye - Written-By (A3)
Bill Potts - Written-By (A2)
Billy Meyers (2) - Written-By (B4)
Bob Florence - Written-By (B2)
Cole Porter - Written-By (A5)
Donald Storball - Written-By (A4)
Eldee Young - Written-By (A4)
Elmer Schoebel - Written-By (B4)
Harry Betts - Written-By (B1)
Hysear Don Walker - Written-By (A4)
Jack Pettis - Written-By (B4)
Lennon-McCartney - Written-By (A1)
Red Holt - Written-By (A4)
Sonny Bono - Written-By (B3)

Notes:
Gatefold jacket.
Catalog # PJ-10117 on front and inside left of jacket, on jacket spine, and on center labels. Inside Gatefold on lower right corner shows Catalog #'s ST-20117 - PJ-10117. I am assuming to show LP available in Stereo (ST-20117) and Mono (PJ-10117).

Artist: Buddy Rich Big Band

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Pacific Jazz

Catalog Number: PJ-10117

Release Year: 1967

Country: United States