Tony Bennett’s medley ramps up the power at ‘Power of Love’

By John Katsilometes

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | 3:02 p.m.

He kept saying it, in the run-up to the party, during and after: “This is overwhelming.”

We know the feeling because when Tony Bennett closed “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” and hit the final, rousing notes of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” overwhelming was the feeling of 1,700 guests at the 20th annual Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love” Gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday.

Co-hosted by Larry Ruvo and his wife, Camille, the benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health was another boffo event, the year’s greatest philanthropic effort representing the highest concentration of newsmakers, celebs and power players in Las Vegas.

As is customary, the night celebrates a legend of some measure, and this year it was Bennett, lauded on the event of his 90th birthday (which is actually Aug. 3). Boyd Gaming co-founder and resort pioneer Bill Boyd also was honored with the event’s Leadership Award, a nod to his long history of charity in his hometown, especially the William F. Boyd School of Law at UNLV.

The event added millions to its approximately $170 million haul since it was launched in 1995. Those funds are delivered to the Lou Ruvo Center and its research and treatment of such brain disorders as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

Bennett also was honored at a pre-gala gathering Friday night at the Lou Ruvo Center when he lavished Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman with a spot-on rendition of “Because of You,” one of Goodman’s favorite songs from her youth. “After hearing that, I don’t care if I wake up tomorrow,” she said, beaming.

During Saturday’s gala, several great artists — including Bennett — were recognized by Minnie Driver, who was joined by onetime Wings guitarist Laurence Juber for a tribute to Bennett’s great paintings (one of which fetched $110,000 in the live auction).

Other artists honored: Cultural Counsel President and founder Adam Abdalla, Golden Lion Award-winning artist Marina Abramovic, glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, Chihuly Studio and Chihuly Workshop President Jackson Chihuly, pop and conceptual artist Jonathan Horowitz, artist and sculptor Jeff Koons, poet and conceptual artist Rob Pruitt, New York artist Peter Tunney, curator-creative director-screen writer Petter Skavlan and writer Neville Wakefield.

Appearing onstage to introduce acts and auction items and the night’s honorees were the Ruvos and Boyd — himself in great shape at age 84 — past honoree and legend Quincy Jones and actor Steve Schirripa (also forever known as the former entertainment director at Riviera).

Further star power around the room: Actor and writer Chazz Palminteri and comic great Brad Garrett (and check back later for my canvass of the red carpet, during which I am chided for my shirt collar and called out by a certain comedy-club operator).

Not at all to be overlooked in the night’s concert segment were the superstars taking the stage to honor Bennett in song: Andra Day, Darius Rucker, Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, James Corden, Jordin Sparks and Steven Tyler.

The artists were at once passionate and diverse. Day performed “Steppin Out With My Baby”; Corden, known as a comic talent, sang “Don’t Get Around Much More”; and Sparks and pianist Dan Orlando cut loose with “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Alright, OK, You Win” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”

Joined by trumpet star Botti, Hancock took the piano and, in a particularly inspired moment, dusted off the “keytar” during “Chameleon” and “Cantaloupe Island.” Afterward, Botti and he shared a long embrace under the heart-shaped “Power of Love” sign.

Botti hung back to join Tyler, dressed as a rocker in lime-colored, flower-printed pants and black suede jacket, for “Smile” and “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” In one of the night’s great quotes, Tyler noted the intentionally scrambled Frank Gehry design of the Lou Ruvo Center and said, “I was looking at the clinic the other day, and there were times — in the old days — when I felt like that building looks.”

Bennett closed with “Watch What Happens,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.” The strength of his voice at the end of his set, as he held the final note for several seconds, just leveled the place.

It’s a good thing that he was the closer because even those great artists didn’t want to follow that. All that was left was a cascade of flower petals for Bennett, whose wide grin and thumb’s up were a fitting way to close a night so aptly titled.

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