Power, speed and technique... Buddy Rich had it all. The world's greatest drummer ever started out his career in showbusiness at a very early age - he notably found a display for his innate sense of rythm in vaudeville act Traps the Drum Wonder. His career as a jazz drummer got off to a fast start in 1937, when he began playing with Joe Marsala's combo. He soon lent his skills to Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey, among others. At the end of the 1940's, Rich was hired by Norman Granz as part of the Jazz at Philharmornic series. In 1966, going against the tide, the drummer reassembled a big band, which met with considerable success. Even though he suffered from a heart condition, Rich never slowed down until the very end. He passed away after having kept the beat for seven decades.