Drums were probably the first musical instrument created by humans. Drum beats are natural —be it heartbeats or the sounds of nature. The oldest drum ever found goes back over 7,500 years. In modern music, drums always played a role to set the beat, keep the rhythm and energize the music. But the role of percussionists started changing around the time of WWII. Drummers like Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa started moving drums from the back row to center stage where it took on a more important and dominate role; leading to the drums becoming an instrument of personal expression and improvisation. Buddy Rich became a band leader, a practice once limited to horns in big bands and pianos in small groups. He has been called the world's greatest drummer.

This is a special edition of Return To Vinyls on Buddy Rich in honor of our sponsorship of the Buddy Rich Tribute Concert Featuring Joe Pulice at the Sheldon Theatre Red Wing MN. Feb 7th 2026