Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Tony Bennett in town for Lady Gaga’s shows
LADY Gaga and Tony Bennett, the historic, generations-spanning duo, are reunited on the Strip this weekend.
Bennett was in town to take in Gaga’s shows Saturday and Sunday night at the Park Theater. Word is he originally planned to surprise Gaga by showing up unannounced Sunday. Instead, he checked into The Signature at the MGM Grand and told Gaga of plans to be at the show Saturday and Sunday night.
Bennett’s appearance at that second show Sunday is particularly tantalizing. That showcase is the opening of Gaga’s “Jazz & Piano” series, music-centered show with a big band that is to include several Las Vegas musicians.
Bennett and Gaga, of course, have headlined in Las Vegas, including dates at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Dec. 30-31, 2014, when they kicked off their international “Cheek To Cheek” tour.
They also appeared the following spring at the then-Axis Theater (now Zappos Theater) at Planet Hollywood Resort, with such classics as “Smile,” “Luck Be a Lady” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in the set list, which was also dotted with Gaga’s hits.
Gaga’s “Enigma” residency also features nine throwback “Jazz & Piano” shows. We can expect a mic will be open and ready for Mr. Bennett.
Jazzy hang
We often say of Dispensary Lounge that the magic is easy to find — just follow the path to the water wheel.
That’s the effect next to the stage/VIP seating area at the tavern at 2451 E. Tropicana Ave. The old watering hole, which opened in 1976, has become an unlikely jazz hang over the past seven years. It’s not uncommon for the
club to be filled with Vegas musicians, in the crowd and onstage, including such jazz greats as pianist Uli Geissendoerfer and vocalist Michelle Johnson.
Wednesday night, the off-Strip joint was host to a surprise visit from members of Gaga’s backing band. They are otherwise known as the
Brian Newman Quintet, out of New York and in town for Gaga’s show on Sunday.
Newman, a highly regarded trumpet player, is Gaga’s bandleader who has also hit the scene at Copa Room at Bootlegger Bistro to catch Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns (Newman has also recruited members of the Santa Fe’s famed horn section for the jazz/piano shows). Alex Smith (piano), Daniel Foose
(bass), Steve Koryka (sax) and Donald Barrett (drums) fill out the Newman Quintet.
The New York crew joined Las Vegas musicians Steve
Flora on bass, Julian Tanaka on clarinet and Jake Langley on guitar.
“Brian, Steve and Alex have been close friends of mine for over 20 years,” said Flora, who has backed Andrea Bocelli at the MGM Grand Garden and John Fogerty in his Strip headlining shows at the Venetian Theater. “Whenever they come to town, we hang. They are musicians and people of depth and substance.” Dispensary owner Adele
Bellas, who was at the club Wednesday night, had not been aware Lady Gaga’s band was going to be in the house until Barrett walked in and was waved to the stage by Tanaka. Barrett was dressed, um, informally, like any self-respecting drummer about to join a jazz gig.
“When the drummer came in, I didn’t recognize him at all and Julian invited him to the stage, I thought, ‘Who is this? Is Julian going to actually let him play?’ ” Bellas said in a phone chat Saturday. “And Julian told me, ‘Oh, yes. He graduated from Harvard.’”
Bellas said the band was “very, very nice to me,” and said they would be back to play at the club “spontaneously” when they are in town for Gaga’s select bigband shows, which offset her “Enigma” production show. The next “Jazz & Piano” show is Feb. 3, followed by another June 2.
The Bernstein scene
On the topic of big names in small venues, Al Bernstein welcomed several luminaries to his packed performance at Tuscany Suites Piazza lounge on Friday night. Muhammad Ali’s daughter Rasheeda Ali,
Joe Louis’ daughter, Jacqueline Barrow; and Eva Futch, widow of the late legendary trainer Eddie Futch, were all in the room.
Ronson is On The Record
Mark Ronson has been announced as the first superstar resident DJ at On The Record at Park MGM. Ronson collaborated with Gaga on “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” an effort that led to a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Award. He debuts Feb. 2 and has booked 12 dates this year at the club, operated by nightlife wonder twins Mark and Jonnie Houston.
Ronson also worked with
Bruno Mars on “Uptown Funk,” and collaborated with
Miley Cyrus on the new single “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.”