THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC! It had me in a
spell Saturday night at the Italian American Club as I watched Lena Prima
jump, jive and wail.
The daughter of the late Louis Prima was in
town to do a tribute show to her dad. And, judging from audience
response, it was a rousing success.
The lovely Lena kept patrons clapping and
bouncing with songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing," "When You're Smiling," "Oh
Babe," "Hey Ba Ba Re Bop," and, of course, "That Old Black Magic."
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LENA PRIMA
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She also brought a tear to my eye with her sweet
rendition of "Mama."
There were a few other Italian classics, too,
such as "Angelina," "C'e la Luna," "Just A Gigolo," "Oh Marie" and Rosemary
Clooney's big hit, "Mambo Italiano."
During the three costume changes we were
treated to video footage of Louis performing with his wife, Gia and
some delightful family photos of the Prima family.
It was an evening that
brought back many memories of the way Las Vegas
used to be. Special effects and 1,000-watt
amps didn't exist; they weren't necessary.
The only magic was in the songs. The talent
was real then. The entertainers were real,
too. After the show, if you hung around
the lounge, you were apt to see them and, on a
lucky night, you might have a drink together and
chat a bit.
Lena will be back again in a few months, says
her manager, Ron Onesti. You can bet you'll find me there when she
does. |
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