Variety (October 1958)

68 XIGMT CLUB REVIEWS Vednetda^ October 8, 195S Hotel Roosevelt, N* Y. . Sammy Kaye Orch (19), with Lynn Roberts, Larry Ellis, Ray Michaels, Hank Kanui, Jay Blas- singame Bond, Johnny Amoroso, Three Kaydets; $l-$2 cover, no minimum. Sammy Kaye is .back again, this being his second engagement this year and fourth appearance in the Roosevelt Grill. And Neal Lang, general manager of the Hotel Roosevelt, should take a bow for bringing back the “swing and sway” maestro so soon, judging from the opening night crowd. Kaye’s recent launching of his own tele show is reflected in the new audience, plus the more conserva¬ tive patrons, always a familiar sight at the Grill. Kaye’s aggrega¬ tion obviously appeals to both the youthful, effervescent crowd, and the heavier-spending older genera- tion. , , ^ The current Kaye combo, boast¬ ing 19 with the balladeers and vo¬ cal groups, is one of the sharpest he has had in years. This stems partly, of course, from working on tv. He has a whole new batch of warblers plus some oldtimers like Jay Blassingame Bond and Johnny Amoroso. Kaye’s band now has four sax and four brass. The new femme vocalist is Lynn Roberts, a comely, willowy miss who measures up to Kaye’s rep of always having an attractive gal singer who can “cut” it. One of her better numbers is “Everybody Loves A Lover.” Another fresh face is Hank Kanui, who goes m for Hawaiian tunes. One of his topflight songs is “Little Brown Shack.” Larry Ellis, also new, teams up with Bond, for excellent returns with “Bird Dog,” one of the com¬ edy songs put over. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” is a group effort that had the dance crowd swinging. Ray Michaels, another new loalladist, is standout with “Volare.” , , Other tunes made popular by Kaye include “Did You Ever See a Dream Walking,” “Hurry Back To My Heart” and "Yearning Just For Y< Vi’ctor, who has been at the Grill for 34 years, still is the affable maitre d\ Wear. Hotel Statler, Wash. Washington, Sept. 30. Ada Cavallo, Steve Kisley Orch (9), Bob Kasha Combo (3); 51.50 cover. Opening the new season, the Statler’s Embassy Room has never been as beautiful. Rich shades of gold and Madison Ave. gray and skillful use of lights give the place a look of elegance and intimacy. Two small fountains cascading water are tricky additions. The Embassy abandoned its for¬ mer big-name policy several years ago as a loser. Its present talent, signed to stay indefinitely, adds up to an enjoyable, relaxed evening. Ada Cavallo, who has previously sung in other Statiers, has a top- notch voice handsomely tailored for the supper club atmosphere. Surrounded by four violinists, she does a great job on the slow, sen¬ timental ballads. A native of the Dominican Republic of Italian par¬ entage, she can sing sweet and hot in six languages, including Greek and Portuguese. Fast-moving Spanish numbers are a specialty. Steve Kisley, who has made a big hit with Embassy regulars, is in his seventh year at the spot. Added this time to alternate with Kisley’s society orch is a trio led by Bob Kasha, superb Hun¬ garian pianist who spent many years with Sammy Kaye. Strengthening the Embassy Room’s local appeal are excellent service and good food. Carp. Cafe Amdjre 9 Montreal Montreal, Oct. 1. “Up-Tempo 59”, with Pat Gallo¬ way, Sylvia Gillespie, Joan Stuart, Doug Chamberlain, Frank Blanch; music and lyrics by Roy Wplvin; produced by Jack Greenwald and Ian Ross; direction and choregra- phV, Brian Macdoiiald; additional dialog and songs, Doyl Klyn, Dave Broadfoot, Don Garmaise, Bernard Solly; $1.50-$2 cover. The second edition of “Up- Tempo” is a decided improvement over the first revue which played a few weeks last spring in this same upstairs room of. Feraard Haricot's Caf e Andre. Current lay¬ out Is. more mature and talented, and devoid, for the most part, of the collegiate humor and local references of the initial effort by producer Jack Greenwald and writer Roy Wolvin. Although credits for the show arc many, material.has been, with a few exceptions, more carefully UJSRlEff selected. After a slow start, tempo is definitely “up” for balance of revue, clinching With a rousing musical satire on “Oedipus Rex” by Wplvin in the style of an amateur drama group. Doyle Klyn’s “Ritzy” number reveals a new writer with a sense for un¬ usual lyrics and given an added, but sometimes confusing, boost by Brian Macdonald’s choreogra¬ phy. Blonde Joan Stuart evidences seek comedic qualities in all ap¬ pearances, particularly atop a stool in a revealing red gown do¬ ing a torchant in Monroe-Mans- field tyle. Pat Galloway is a looker and her sophisticated and rather deadpan comedy style contrasts nicely with the broad but deft playing of Sylvia Gillespie. Both males in show are slow to start; seem unable to get into the spirit or the dialog (which is heavy-handed) until midway through offering, then both are convincing, highlighting with a song-and-dance item by.. Wolvin and Tim Porteous on Quebec poli¬ tics. Kudos go to Wolvin for lion’s share of the writing and music and to Ed Assaly for the arrangements. Andre Trudel has designed some pleasant sets for the small stage and Margo Marsh’s costumes are clever and colorful. “Up-Tempo” is in for an indefinite run. Newt. Beverly Hills, Ciney Cincinnati, Sept. 26. Billy Williams Quartet, The Szonys (2), Lindsay-Sapphire Dan¬ cers (9), Bill Raymond, Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jimmy Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Sat. Reestablishing local faye ratings after long absence, the Billy Wil¬ liams Quartet and the Szonys con¬ tribute a load of class entertain¬ ment to the double frame in Bev¬ erly’s lush Trianon Room. Backing them admirably in a fast 65 min¬ utes is the location line of Lindsay- Sapphire steppers and band batoned-by Gardner Benedict. Giselle Szony and brother Fran¬ cois justify “continental dancing stars” billing in two five-minute routines of ballroom and interpre¬ tive patterns, concluding with their famed “Sleeping Beauty” ballet treatment. Running through lfi or- more tunes in 40 minutes is duck soup for high tenor Billy Williams and his mates, Eugene Dixon, bass; Ollie Jones, baritone, and Buddy Smith, tenor. Repertoire includes their top Coral recordings, with heavy mittang for “Paper Doll,” “I’ll Walk Alone” and “Mad About Cha.” Calvin Shields, drummer and hotcha hoofer, and Bill Stan¬ ford, pianist, leave the bandstand to join in brief capers near clos¬ ing. Mary Lou Bleser, promising lo- calite, leads the Lindsay-Sapphire group in Parisian and Latin num¬ bers, with Bill Raymond as singer and emcee. Koll. Mocambo, Paris Paris, Sept. 30. Waliyanes African Ballet (10), Cecile Devil , Denis Moroso, Nancy Halloway, Oleg Bajot Orch (6>, Leopoldo Frances'; §5 minimum. Plush iOO-seater boite, with a small stage and leopard skin walls and blackamoor-statuette lighting fixtures, comes hip with a new show in keeping with its decors. Waliyanes African Ballet (10) are a group of Senegalese dancers and singers who are able to give an exotic air to the show in spite of being cramped on the small stage. Warrior terp segments, verve and frenetic displays, accentuated by tasteful costuming, make this an okay entry and will probably draw those wanting the offbeat in elub fare. Three acts surround the various interdudes of the Afro group. Nancy Halloway is a plump, good looking, Yank sepia songstress. Poured into a sequin gown, she gives out some special material-and cha-cha-cha. Somewhat listless, she does'not manage to overcome this in spite of good possibilities in her puckish, sprightly voice. When she solves mike technique and underlines her songs with the proper physical stance, and re¬ moves the tired edge, she might emerge a good standard singing act. Denis Moroso gives out with; some suave, familiar gadget magico bits for okay effect. Cecile Devil displays competent pipes but not [the individuality or projection for anything but orch chirp possibili¬ ties. Oleg Bajot Orch (6) gives good dance music for the postage stamp floor and Leopoldo Frances is an asset in his frenzied Latino song pipings. Snug boite gets the monied set and looks to become a staple here. It is off the Champs-EIysees. Dinners are also served. Mosk. Grady Hotel, Atlanta Atlanta, Oct. 4. Gretchen Wyler, Alan Mario, Shepard Coleman, Don Grimes Orch (6); $3 minimum . Gretchen Wyler has added an¬ other star to her crown. She now is a fullfledged night club artist. Blonde. singer-dancer won her spurs — and vigorous plaudits— when she opened at the Paradise Room, following pianist Carmen Cavallaro, »No. 1 on manager Lark Bragg’s list of names under room’s new policy.. Miss Wyler exhibits no nervous¬ ness in the new facet of show biz, possibly due to the fact that her husband, Shepard Coleman, fronts the band (he’s a cellist) and does a good job of accomp. Dressed in fetching skintight satin that cov¬ ered her from shoulders to shoe tops, she offers a program that in¬ cludes tunes from musical shows she has appeared in, “Guys and Dolls,” “Damn Yankees,” “Silk Stockings” and her break-in role in “Charley’s Aunt.” Fropa the lat¬ ter she sings and dances a la Ray Bolger with “Once in Love With Amy” and, of course, PR patrons join her in song. She had previous¬ ly appeared In Atlanta four years ago in “Damp Yankees” for Muni¬ cipal Theatre Under-the-Stars, so customers demanded—and got— “Whatever Lola Wants.” Other numbers that score are “Mack the Black,” “Hurray for Love” and the jazzed-up version of “Frankie and Johnny.” Miss Wyler intersperses just the right amount of terping with her songs and dis¬ plays flashes of a talent for com¬ edy which could be . exploited more in her act. On the whole, however, it can safely be said that Gretchen Wyler has arrived as a nitery entertainer. She sets a tor¬ rid pace, mops her brow and gives out with the song and dance rou¬ tines that are real crowd pleasers. Bandleader Roy Grimes doubles as emcee and harmonica virtuoso Alan Mario opens show with a se¬ lection of numbers that, while pleasing, are too- loud for custom¬ ers in front rows. His harp is at¬ tached to an electrical speaker gizmo that's tough on the eardrums and It should have a soft pedal on It somewhere. . _ . Cavallaro did smash at Paradise Room for two weeks and so did Miss Wyler during her first week. She played to turnaway business this weekend (4) .with football crowds overflowing-all eating and lancing spots in city and environs. Bragg has booked the Coronados to follow Miss Wyler, starting Oct. L3, and Somethin’ Smith & The Redheads for two weeks beginning Drake Hotel, Chi Chicago, Oct. 3. Betty O’Neil, Jimmy Blade Orch (6); $2 cover. Fine soprano pipes, lotsa poise and a well-conceived catalog add to a favorable audit for Betty O’Neil’s Camellia House bow. Chantoosie has neatly anchored her stint to her’ musicomedy cred¬ its, bagging especially nice reac¬ tion via an olio of hits from Broad¬ way tuners. Medley bases in her lament that she’s yet to wear a lavish gown in legit. Chirper’s special stuff is fresh •l and first-rate, including “49(of my heart is pure). “Sailor Johnny,” and an item called “Keeping Up With the Kennedysa dandy spoof of the Massachusetts clan that features a smart ringside gimmick.. Patter is direct and sensible. Miss O’Neil’s in for a month, and she gets excellent support from, the Jimmy Blade tooters. Pit. Steak & T., Atlanta Atlapta, Oct. 4. Jean. Shannon & Brooks Bros. (2), Rick Lansing, Teddy Bart , George Morgenstem, Sam Wilhoit Orch (3); $2.50 minimum . Atlanta’s newest dine and dan- eery, Steak Sc Trumpet, got off to. a disappointing start due to a plethora of counter-entertainment and bad weather. Although cus¬ tomers were conspicuously absent, entertainment dished up rates top- drawer. Jean Shannon, Kay Thompsonish blonde, is a capable comedienne, fully equipped with shapely gams, a strong voice and an ability to dance, mugg and sell a song. . Her agile partners, the Brooks Bros., prove excellent foils for her, espe¬ cially in the terp department. Everything group does is fast, which means the 35-minute turn skips by in a hurry. George Morgenstem, acts* ar¬ ranger, presides at piano during act and Don Brooks choreographed the stanza. Miss Shannon, in spangled tore -1 * 1 adors, gets act rolling with a belt¬ ing rendition of “All the Things You Are,” followed by a comedy calypso turn, with' the boys, with funny hats, to “Man’s Smarter Than Woman.” Changing the beat, she sings “Fever” and “I Got Rhythm,” that merited the hand the sparse audience accorded her. .Just to prove she can handle the svreet stuff, Miss Shannon sings “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You” and the finale finds her and the Brooks freres lathering their way through a flapper routine, com¬ plete with nostalgic tunes and the Charleston, to a fine final recep¬ tion. Ted Bart, singer, doubles as em- cep and Sam Wilhoit and crew abet pianist Morgernstern for show and dancing. Mickey Morano is manager of Steak & Trumpet, which has been remodeled and can seat 240. Spot began life as Joe Cotton’s Steak Ranch and has gone through a se¬ ries of hands before Morano, who formerly owned the Anchorage Room in the Clermont Hotel, took over. Luce. Village Vanguard, X. Y. Irwin Corey, Carmen McRae, Don Abney Trio; $3.50 minimum. Although there’s nothing new in the Vanguard setup this semes¬ ter, returnees Irwin Corey and Carmen McRae make it all worth¬ while and should help along the biz at Max Gordon’s Greenwich Village hangout. Thrushing in a neat jazz vein, Miss McRae continues to show the vocal prowess that brought her from a Harlem joint, to Birdland to her current stature as a Decca. disker. Repertoire includes hipped- up versions of -a flock of ever¬ greens, They all get an added fillip in her hands. In her songbag are such goodies as “The Man I Love,” “How Long Has This Been Going On,” and “I Get A Kick Out of You.” The in¬ strumental backing, and good, too, is by the Don Abney Trio. Corey continues to tickle the Vanguard crowd with his assort¬ ment of dissertation, digression and demoniac attitudes. His logic Is far out on some cloud of his own making hut it’s founded on mate¬ rial that reaches the earth people. Even his abuse of ringsiaers is taken by the tablers with good humor and without embarrassment, which is to their credit. Gros. Bine Angel, X. Y. Jo March, Dorothy Loudon, Martha Davis & Spouse (Calvin Ponder), Mike Nichols & Elaine May, Bart Howard, Jimmy Lyon; $6 minimum. Current show at this Herbert Jacoby-Max Gordon operation shapes as the best at the eastside spot in many months. Also one of the biggest bills, its popularity is attested to by capacity biz nearly every night. Minimum has been tilted to $6, with three shows scheduled for both Friday and [ Saturday nights. There’s only one holdover in the current lineup* the comedy team of Mike Nichols & Elaine May, understandable be¬ cause of the way they mop up at every show. Outstanding new entry of this Show is Dorothy Loudon, singing comedienne who had her audience clamoring. for more with her un¬ usual ditties and humorous deliv¬ ery. She is discussed at greater length in New Acts. The Nichols-May combo has re¬ tained the’ “Telephone Informa¬ tion” routine as well as the audi- ence-ened segment, this time hav¬ ing to do with a foot doctor. They' have added “Adultery,” as carried out by Americans, British and French, for uproarious returns’ Their. closing routine, tabbed “Waiter,” Is an adroit portrayal of the passing of time for a couple meeting by Qhance at a night club. Jo iMarch, afi attractive blonde who strums her own guitar accom¬ paniment, handles folk songs like a veteran. Her fine diction and easy delivery make her an audience pleaser. Martha Davis, who has been here before as a single, now is billed as “Sc spouse” (Calvin Bonder). But she still is the major portion of the turn, with her infectious songalogs and piano gymnastics putting tire act over- solidly. Ponder strums the bass fiddle and joins in duets with his wife. Current lineup of songs t.and instrumental bits in¬ cluded “Ma, He’s Kissing Me,” “Darktown Strutters Ball,” “He’s Funny That Way,” “Love Is So Peculiar” and “Won’t You Come Home, Rill Bailey.” This act is a strong signoff for a well-balanced show. Wear. International, X. Y. Alan Gale, Arnold Dover, Kay Brown, Pato patemo, Boots Mc¬ Kenna Line; $5 minimum ($10 opening). Alan Gale has come In under entirely different circumstances this trip. He has been a boniface, a show packager, and now he’s in at the Jack Silverman spot as an act. With the exception of week¬ ends, he’s doing one show nightly, albeit a lengthy one. He hands out massive doses, his minimal stand being an hour—which represents an extreme cut from the amount of time he usually takes. Gale apparently has a huge fol¬ lowing in town. The International, with the largest capacity on Broad¬ way, had the ropes up at his preem, and advance . bookings indicate healthy biz during his four-week tenure. His following is generally from those who savvy Yiddish. While the bulk of his turn can he understood ,by those not familiar with the language, the non-kosher crowd sits through a lot of blank strefehes. Gale is an expert in getting a response. He draws from a rich nostalgic vein in tracing his youth, and from some warm folk humor in speaking of his co-religionists. There are some questionable bits of material which could easily be eliminated without weakening his turn. But in all, he’s one of the big deals in the world of Yiddish- slanted entertainment. The surrounding principals com¬ prise Arnold Dover, who appeared on previous Gale shows, locally, and Kay Brown, who disks for MGM. Dover is a skilled impres¬ sionist. The Negro performer gets believable characterization and has good lines. His Ed Sullivan takeoff is among his best and for this audience he pulled a Menasha ; Skulnik portrait which was vastly amusing. Miss Brown is a careful worker. Her arrangements are well tail¬ ored, the couturiering is good, and her pipes show fine grooming. However, her act needs some over¬ hauling for optimum effectiveness. As presently arranged, each num¬ ber must stand on its own; there’s no buildup and no climax, which detracts from her overall turn. The crowd, however, likes her. The Boots McKenna production comes off well, with good costum¬ ing but somewhat dated themes. Something new in production has been added with this show. Pat Patemo, who has been working the eastside intimeries, is the pro¬ duction singer, presumably to get big-room experience. Something new has also been added to the music. Mike Durso, for so many years at the Copa- cabana, has moved over, and gives the backing an additional note of competence plus knowhow on the terp music. Jose. Limelight, S. Monica Santa Monica, Cal., Sept. 30. Barbara Dane, Newport Harbor Jazz Sextette, Chamber Jazz Sex¬ tette; no cover or minimum. Operators of Pacific Ocean Park have dipped way back into Prohibition Days nostalgia in gim- mickmg up this plush cellar saloon for the beach trade. Downstairs spot, under POP’s restaurant row on the boardwalk in front of the new amusement pier, has a tobac¬ conist-newsstand “blind,” with en¬ trance into the bar itself gained through dummy phone booths. The “fun” is carried to the ultimate via a speakeasy peephole and the customers’ passwards, “Joe sent me.” Even though the McCoy speaks before ’33 were rarely as plush as this one, Limelight is a lively saloon and the speakeasy atmo¬ sphere may make it a hangout of sorts. Walls are papered in a flashy red frieze; there are plenty of paintings of full blown nudes on all the walls and behind the long bar; the leggy cocktail waitresses are in flapper clothes; the jazz bands keep blaring and its cheap, the only tab being the price of the drinks that are drunk. Ceiling is awfully low, however, for such loud bands and its doubt¬ ful that many customers will be able to spend any considerable time drinking in such bedlam. The old speaks went in more, for the blues and the ballads, the theory being that once a customer got to feeling sorry for himself he did that much moi;e drinking. Also, the Quieter music was better for the romantic couples,’and it’s this fac¬ tor that Limelight should capital¬ ize on, considering* its bathing suit location. Vocalist Barbara Dane is a nice- looking blonde with an okay voice for the prohibition-days songs. As for the two bands, Newport Harbor Jazz Sextette and Chamber Jazz Sextette, both are good on the driving rhythm numbers ar ' both sound exactly alike: ScHo.