twooffour said:
Not sure if I can say I "prefer" Billy Higgins, especially since Buddy did his "quiet, tasty" solos as well.
As far as tasty, catchy, mind-blowing jazz drum solos, I probably prefer the kind of Joe Morello the most.
Higgins wasn't known for his soloing... I was mainly referring to how they each back up a group. As a drummer, I usually hate listening to drum solos :) And I don't like the sound of Buddy Rich's cymbals at all. Compare the sound of Tony Williams' kit on "Seven Steps to Heaven"... that ride cymbal is so musical it's is like a stradivarius. For loud drumming, Elvin Jones on the "A Love Supreme" album, or Art Blakey on the "Free For All" album, are the pinnacles of raw acoustic energy, in my opinion.