Variety (March 1959)

HOUSE HEVKflB Wednesday* March 18, -1959 tl&irEfr 87 Night Club Reviews ; Continued from page 85 ; Chateau Madrid, IN. Y. superb vocal chords, and uses them most effectively. He' teams with Rochi to do “Romance in Havana” for solid returns. Rochi has the “Springtime in Paris” number which builds into a revolving mir¬ ror production stunt which drew tremendous mitting. The "Night in San Juan” opener is sort of a tribute to Puerto Rico, locale of their most recent engage¬ ment. Their “Memories of North. of Spain” get a bagpipe effect by using six fiddles and an accordion. Composer of “Granada” is credited with “Strings of My Guitar,” done with aplomb by the group. "Gypsy Enchantment” provides a hangup opportunity for-Bona to play his own accompaniment on the guitar. He scores. Grupo Flamenco has the dancers Angel Mancheno, a vigorous young man who throws himself into his terps efforts, and Pepa Reyes, an effective companion in flamenco stepping; Manolo Leiva, who pro-' vides the vocal background for tile dancing, and guitarist Fernando Sirvent. Leiva, sturdy blonde type, clicks mightily with his singing. Titled, “The Thinkers,” the group builds this number into a terrific climax. Final encore brings the whole cast into “Oh, How . Beautiful _Is Barcelona,” for vociferous returns. Whole show is splendidly routined, and a sock hit here as it has been elsewhere. Ralph Font’s trim combo provides the music for the patron dancing. Wear. and a rhythmic version of “Swanee River.” There was a big reprise for their present “Girl from Sears & Roe¬ buck,” as well as from “That Old Gang of Mine” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone." All in all, it’s hard to beat good signing for a crowd pleaser. and the Lads make the most of it. They’re on through March 20. Quin. Harrah’s, Lake Tahee Lake Tahoe, March 11. Ted Lewis, Eddie Chester, Bev¬ erly Marshall, Cathy Basic, Inga & Rolf, Will Osborne Orch (10); no cover or minimum. Ted Lewis makes his Harrah ? s Club bow surrounded, with talent —and the old master gives ‘the auditors a full hour of his own brand of. showmanship. The click package offers comedy, terping, and vocalizing—all perfected and polished. Lewis wins his top rating with the nostalgic bits, and with the duos done with his original “shad¬ ow”—Eddie Chester, back in the show after 25 years away. With the trademarked top hat and cane, Lewis notes in his opener that “I’m gonna keep rollin’ righto, along,” and he does. He’s upstage most of the full hour, and tablers keep him working with heavy palming to the familiar Lewisisms. The vet makes with the clarinet solos, with vocal- ing, and in tandem with his shad¬ ow, the well-known terp routines. Comedienne Beverly Marshall shows her best talents with panto¬ mimes, and works neatly with Lewis. A drunk impresh, done to a Spike Jones’ disk of “Cocktails For Two,” keeps tablers howling. She also wins the plaudits with her terping. Cathy Basic, a dark-haired beau¬ ty, commands room silence on such titles as “Mr. Wonderful.” She has full control, and the notes are pure. She’s a gal to be watched. Inga & Rolf are smooth in the foot work. The young couple, tak¬ ing two. turns before the spot show diversity with a “flirtation” bit, then with an offering to “Liebe- straum” that displays a fluid move¬ ment and effortless coordination. Will Osborne and his music boys play the difficult show most cap¬ ably. Show exits March 29. Long. Ertdys’. K.C* Kansas City, March 10. Four Lads (with Joe Mele), Tom¬ my Reed Orch (5); $1-1.50 cover. Riverside. Reno Reno. March 12. Billy DeWolfe, Trio Martelli, Martin Bros (2), Eddie Fitzpatrick Otch (10), Starlets (8); $2 min¬ imum. tune with stagesiders is “Gaucba Serenade,” featuring capable Gene Dixon, and showcasing a bit of fine rhythm. Backing Williams with their own fine vocal gymnastics are second tenor Tommy Butler, who has been with combo for only three weeks; baritone Ollie Jones and bass Gene Dixon, Jimmy Neely takes over the 88s during the Williams stint, and. sets a smooth pace for the Don Cannon orch tracking. Williams closes. March 24. . Skip. Casa Cugat. X. Y. Abbe Lane (4/>, Xavier Cugat Orch; $6.50 minimum. The Olympic Room’s current bill, with Billy DeWolfe headlining, of¬ fers a variety that’s sure to please the majority. The topliner’s gifted comedy, the Bartelli’s terping, and the Martin Bros, precision juggling make for a full hour of entertain¬ ment. DeWolfe scores with his trade¬ mark “Mrs. Murgatroyd” — the dame making her first visit to a cocktail lounge, and his other im- preshes win top approval. His in¬ terpretations of show gals, of actors doing dramatic scenes, and lastly, of a waiter show sensitivity rate hot plaudits. The complete offering is in good taste, with the accent on the visual. Making a Reno bow, the Trio Martelli command endorsement with acro-terping routines not too often seen of late on the nitery stages. The two guys and a gal i she’s a petite pony-tailed blonde) do an act demanding the closest timing and precision—and do it effortlessly. The Martin Bros., also bowing on a Reno stage, are better than average at the art of juggling— and prove ability by tossing lighted torches across stage while working blindfolded and with socks about the head. The boys show much rehearsal. Backing the one-hour bill are the capable musicians of Eddie Fitzpatrick, with the Starlets in Moro-Landis productions bracket¬ ing the show, skedded through March 25. Long. Living Room, Y. Lyda Fairbanks, Eddie Heywood, Jacques Kay el. Jack Kelly Trio; $4.50 minimum. Apollo, X. Y. Miles Davis Sextet, Thelonicus Monk Quartet, Ruth Brown, John¬ ny Richards Orch (16), Bcron Wil¬ son; "Legion of the Damned ” (AA). The Casa Cugat, which opened at the start of the season on the premise that dining and dancing was in itself sufficient of an eve¬ ning, has now gone in for an act policy, with who else, but Abue Lane, the spouse of the bandleader- boniface Xavier Cugat. Miss Lane with backing and support by Cugat. will be on tap for four weeks, and following that, other acts will be ! °us plaudits at the finale, brought in. . J Davis’ group, comprising piano. Of course, the rebuilt spot is ' drum « bass * trumpet and two sax, eminently suited for acts. It’s’ an i * s an object lesson in musicianship. While Harlem’s lone vaude em¬ porium occasionally comes up with a dull sesh, none can say it fails to offer the customers a change of pace. Anything from a Gospel show to “An Evening with Duke Ellington” may be found on the Apollo entertainment menu. Modern jazz is showcased in the current bill. Miles Davis Sextet and Thelonious Monk Quartet, high priests of the medium, top the layout in a fascinating aural display of improvisation. Both combos still the aud in a sort of reverend state and elicit thunder- Palace, London London, % M?.rcli 11. Johnnie Ray, Mike & Bernie Winters. Des O’Connor, Rene Strange, Three Merkys, Three Monarchs, Cycling Kirks. John Tiller Girls (16), Harold Collins’ Orch. improvement over the old La Vie ; which formerly occupied the site > in the Shelton Hotel, the stage hav- j ing been moved so that the per- i formers work in length rather than ! in depth. The effect is more the- ; atrical, and in Miss Lane’s case I most salutory. j Miss Lane gets a florid recitative j intro from the bandleader, and ] thence into a Vocal routine backed ; by the eloquent use of her torso, to I point up the tune, of course. The I combination is. extremely effective. ! Miss Lane gives the customers . a full-bodied show in every sense of Muted trumpet of Davis is partic¬ ularly effective. Monk’s quartet beats it out in the same coneerty idiom.. Pianist-leader, who’s ac- comped by bass, drum and sax, has a unique style at the 88. Oc¬ casionally he. highlights a move¬ ment by riffling the treble with his elbow. Also unique is the makeup of ofay Johnny Richards’ band. At first glance four rhythm, three reed and nine brass (including a tuba and french horn) seem a peculiar composition for modern jazz. However, under the leader’s expert guidance the overall sound 0 „ j _"... « i expert guidance uie oveian suuuu *vp riof „°- f a i is often enchanting. Especially on (inn 6 y ° f tunes of Latm deriva- ; such instrumentals as “Tempest on , ‘ . ! the Charles” from the “Sketch j Miss Lane has important a"s- i Americana” suite. ! •* tr *° o£ ° ne <* Ruth Brown, introed as “a ihahmi ZniT ’J* .LfiSUfi young lady making..the .transition menco dancer, and the others are j okay at supplying atmosphere. I The raised elevation provides a i good stamping ground for the tal- ; ent and affords an excellent sight- i line from all corners of the room, j The Cugat orch, of course, provides , a high standard of showback'ng 1 and terpmusic. Jose. from blues to jazz,” chirps some five numbers. Hers is a polished style that commendably stresses good enunciation. However, it’s strongly remininiscent of June Christyr Pony-tailed and encased in a strapless gown, she can be plaintive, throaty, or dramatic in thrushing such tunes as “You and the Night and the Music” and “Porgy.” Baron Wilson is seen briefly as a comedian-emcee. His material is thin and he adds little to the bill. While Davis, Monk and Richards After a respite of four years the Four Lads have returned to Eddys’ and an signs point to a very pleas¬ ant fortnight. In the interim sev¬ eral hits have come out of their Columbia waxings. and their rep has grown. Their foUbwing was plentiful at the opening and they obliged with a solid show through 37 minutes of their polished vocals. Accent is on good music. Choreography and frills are. held to a minimum and they concen¬ trate on singing out in their own smooth blend. This holds good through virtually a score of songs of a wide, spread, from their es¬ tablished record toppers to old faves and some especially new. Along the way are worked in “Standing on the Corner.” “Mo¬ ments To Remember,” “Istanbul” and “No Not Much” from their Own hit list, with some notable work on “Getting To Know You” The Living Room has taken a departure with its try at standup talent, and it seems to work out excellently. Normally, the enter¬ tainers are either at the piano or a guitar, and the spot has nearly always shunned the formalized ef¬ fect of an upright performer. Lyda Fairbanks seems to do well in this position. A striking blonde with costuming to match. Miss Fairbanks has the ability to evoke a variety of moods. She dwells on rhythm numbers, ballads, and a couple of special material items for the late set: In all, it’s an effec¬ tive bit that indicates she’s ready for frontline assignments. Her backing by the Jack Kelly Trio heightens Miss Fairbanks’ effect on the well-tailored arrangements. Another plus in this show Is the pianistics of Eddie Heywood, whose disking of “Begin the Be- guine” of more than a decade ago is still a classic in ivory renditions. Heywood has an insidous way of expressing the . beat, which with his general originality of expres¬ sion and improvisation gets warm mittings here. Jacques Kayel ; working the song and piano route, holds attention with his French renditions . He’s a personable and youthful lad who hits good stride. His efforts are tuneful and he makes good at his tasks. Jose. Tidelands. Houston Houston, March 10. Billy Williams Quartet, Don Can¬ non Orch (6); no cover or min¬ imum. Berns Salonger, Stockholm Stockholm, March 3. Les Capioni (2), Murio & Sheila, ! —- .-. . . .. . . Kaye Sisters (3), Carsony Bros <3),l are basic entertainment at such Orch conducted bu Ottn ■ 3® temples 3S B-rdlmid, their y ° j click at the ApoUo tends to prove ' how broad the cult is. For the . . ■ . „ , . . ! uninitiated may have difficulty in . program of the highest • digging jazz moderne. Gilb. international standard is probably j __ among the best presented at the Berns in a long time. Les Capioni, a European comi¬ cal trampoline act, starts the show with some laughs, as well as doing Making his seventh appearance in London (first at the Palace) Johnnie Ray makes the usual im¬ pact on his teenage audience. Squeals of delight at every song: posies flung on the stage; mobbing at the stage-door. But there are many empty seats in the house. This is unfortunate for Ray has become a much more assured artist. His present offering shows little change cf style. He still fills the stage with frantic energy. But it is done now w r ith more discipline and even members of the audience who dig him only coolly admit his showmanship. The 40-minute act. excellently backed by Harold Collins’ orches¬ tra, with Herman Kapp, Ray’s mu¬ sical director, on percussion, takes in 13 numbers. The rest of the bill is competent without measuring up to the claimed “International Vaude” tag given it by impresario Bernard Delfont. Mike & Bernie Winters, a couple of zany patter comedians, create plenty of mirth and Des O’Connor, an amiable young come¬ dian with a pleasant matter, scores with his takeoff on the contents of a typical woman’s magazine but also includes some hoary material. A comedy harmonica act, the Three Monarchs, are polished per¬ formers but their routine has been seen too often on tv for majo' impact. Rene Strange, a pretty and shapely puppeteer who has been around the halls for quite awhile, manipulates her dolls with great skill and is no slouch at the sing¬ ing which provides the puppets’ repertoire. The Three Merkys, double-jointed comedy acrobats; the Cycling Kirks, skilled trick cy¬ clists, and the Tiller Girls make up the rest of the bill. Rich. Francsis. Ottswa Ottawa, March 10. Camillo Family <6', Bazou, Pi¬ erre Senecal, Ambassadors (3). Richard Prouix. “ Badman’s Coun¬ try ” and "Joe Dakota ” <WBh 85c. Ohel SIephi. Tel Aviv Tel Aviv, March 10. Le Nouvel Olympia Tel Aviv; •some daring numbers/ Mirrio ^ i Sheila, a fine dan™ u+n h 9V » : and Giora Godih <Tel■ Aviv J, uixn Amalia Rodrigues, Trio, To.dy, Dany Raydel, Jeanne & Charles Cerney, Israel Nishry, Noy & Rey, liana Rovina. Sheila, a fine dance team w'ho have played U.S. spots, are booked for Radio City Music Hall, with a tour in Australia following. The Kaye Sisters is a British vocal group in the pop field, mak¬ ing their debut in Sweden. Made a good impression and sold their number very good. They would undoubtedly do well in the U.S. Carsony Bros,, headed by Karl and his twin brothers Engelbert and Joseph, an Austrian acrobat trio, presents a standout act. The Berns’ Orchestra, conducted bv Otto Stenzel, backs up ably, and in between the performances, they play more pop music numbers than usual at Swedish restaurants and night spots. A strange thing to no¬ tice, however, is the fact that at Berns, which is Sweden’s most “international” restaurant, the pop tunes are sung with lyrics in Swedish, while it seems to be a rule here that artists always sing their numbers in English, no mat¬ ter if the audience is familiar with the language or not. Winq. Billy Williams, leaning often on old favorites, draws top mitting at the Tidelands Motor Inn’s Tide- lands Club. While obviously toning down group’s delivery of even the softies to fit this intimate spot, Williams’ talent'and showmanship is never better than on this, his first trip to Texas. Williams’ current disk, “Nola,” is well received, and fitting that trend, quartet follows with "I’m Gonna Sit Right Down,” “Paper Doll,” which Williams said is a tune “we stole from the Mills Brothers,” “Ain’t She Sweet,” with the Jimmy Lunceford sound, and “After You’re Gone.” Another top Against Dave Gardner Atlanta, March 17. Charges against night club en¬ tertainer Dave Gardner in connec¬ tion with' possession of narcotics were dismissed Friday (13) in Judge James Webb’s Municipal Court. Gardner had told court that lie had a physician’s prescription for drugs found in his possession and a New York doctor corrobo¬ rated this in a long distance con¬ versation with Judge Webb. . Gardner was arrested while in Atlanta playing a date at Domino Third program of the Israeli Olympia Music Hall by impresario Giora Godik opens a monthly series of variety shows. The Delta Rhythm Boys and Hazy Osterwald band are billed for May, the Weavers for June and Edith Piaf for July, while a special attraction at end of April will be Louis Armstrong & Orch. Starred in present show', staged at the oldfashioned Tel Aviv “Ohel Shem,” former home of Philhar¬ monic concerts, is the Portuguese singer Amalia Rodrigues. Taking the entire second half, she presents a dozen Portuguese fados and flamenco songs in her own tem¬ peramental, inimitable style, to the virtuoso accompaniment of her guitarists Jose Alfredo dos Santos Moreira and Camarinha Domingos. Her “Coimbra” (April in Portugal) and “Uma Casa Portuguesa” were the best known of a selection of attractive offerings, warmly ap¬ plauded by the overflow gala pre¬ miere audience of 1,100. Supporting bill not too interest¬ ing this time, highlight being the comic acrobatic act of Noy & Rey. Xylophonist Israel Nishry plays skillful arrangements of music by I.avry, Sarasate and Kabalevsky. American Cerney dance duo offers ballroomology; singer Dany Ray- del makes the most of a Gilbert Becaud song; Trio Toldy consists of a single half-clad lady at whose butterfly-winged open gown col¬ ored slides are projected. liana Rovina, daughter of famed Kabi- mah actress Hanna Rovina. iemcces ( rather clumsily. Music is provided Lounge in Imperial Hotel. He was ! by -a quartet dlrav/n j io:n the regu- out on bond. j lar “Olympia Orchestra. Vern. “We’ve got the family working j for us now” is theme song of Louis ; and Marie Camillo, retired vaude = artists whose six children—man- i aged by an uncle—make up the : Camillo Family, headlining this : two-hour unit. It’s or.e of vet Mont¬ real showman Jean Grimaldi’s five shows touring Ontario. Quebec and ’ the Maritimes. ' The Italian-American Camillos ! do the first hour. Other half of ; bill is all French-Canadian, and 1 Bazou the comic only sings a cou- > pie of songs in Chevalier style, to ! shorten show to total 100 minutes. Ambassadors, instrumental trio, open wdth neat melange of rock ’n’ roll and jazz. Camillos’ first number had Gloria & Margherita, tall shapely brunettes, alternating chirp with tap, while Violetta plays accordion. They sing two of her compositions, and later nine-year- old Carmelita a'third. All have pleasant personalities, as has handsome 16-year-old broth¬ er Tony, who once sang child roles with San Francisco Opera Co. He still has a promising tenor in the rocking groove. He also does some tricky ballroom terping with his olders sisters. Little Carmelita’s big song-and- dance number is a “La Cucaracha,” ( in a voice that may make the i grade. As a surprise they bring ; out six-year-old Mario, a tiny stack of dynamite, to .do a funny Presley impresh and, with Carmelita, an amusing revival of “Ma, He’s Mak¬ ing Eyes At Me!” Sister Violetta totes that squeezebox. which she plays well, the entire 50 minutes— Tony dueting with her once on his. The Camillos are a lively, versatile family; but the terping siblings might replace their old-hat arm- in-air gesture, to acknowledge ap¬ plause, with something more modem. Trio opens second half, too, after short intermish, then Bazout intro’s Richard Proulx. a teen singer. Good voice and stage pres- : ence, with abundance of movement. Senecal does 20 minutes, all in / French—including “Baby Face,” i with a rich voice. Gard.