This massive four-disc set of
Buddy Rich tunes on Quadromania is not to be confused with the same single-disc of the same title issued by Jazz Time in 1981. That disc is included here as the final outing, featuring
Rich in session with the great
Lionel Hampton. The rest of this material is a wildly assembled cross-section from his recordings made in the '40s through the late '50s (with some scant material from the '60s and '70s thrown in) with nary a concern shown for chronology, recording quality, or personnel. It's confounding and even frustrating to make your way through it with any sense of continuity. This is a portrait, pure and simple, but is so willy-nilly in its assemblage that despite the attractive price tag, fans and collectors would be better served by looking elsewhere for something more representative.