Buddy Rich: Keep The Customer Satisfied

In the late sixties drum virtuoso Buddy Rich recorded a series of albums for Liberty/Pacific Jazz that most critics agree were the best of his career. Keep The Customer Satisfied captures Rich, an admitted showoff, performing live before an enthusiastic audience at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Of the original seven tracks, only one (the epic, eleven-minute Midnight Cowboy Medley ) was recorded in a Los Angeles studio. At the time of this recording, Toronto resident Pat LaBarbara was a prominent member of the band and his frequent tenor solos are most impressive. In addition, the album features solid contributions from Rick Stepton (trombone), Richie Cole (alto) and George Zonce (trumpet). The arrangements, particularly those of Don Piestrup and Bill Holman, are custom tailored to showcase Rich’s relentless drive and his band’s brassy exuberance. Keep The Customer Satisfied includes six previously unissued bonus tracks that, while of interest to Rich completists, don’t really measure up to the original seven chosen. Hot and very satisfying! ####