Friday, Sept. 6, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ at the Four Queens, under the aegis of Alan Grant, ends a successful 15-year run on Sept. 23, with Jeanie Bryson as Alan's guest. ... As we understand it, Grant and his family will be heading Down Under, to New Zealand, to be specific. ... After the death of Monk Montgomery, Grant carried the cause of jazz in LV forward, bringing some of the world's finest players to town 52 weeks a year.
Grant's name was not even mentioned in a recent Four Queens publicity release announcing the final performance of Monday Night Jazz. ... For years, the only other regular home for jazz players was Pogo's on a Friday night, led by the late trumpeter Chico Alvarez.
Don Menza, a brilliant musician, has been hosting Monday Night Jazz sessions at the Riviera for several years. ... The Riviera will be (or is) managing the Four Queens now; need more be said?
Because of Alan Grant's efforts, we have jazz concerts in a number of outdoor settings. ... Friday nights at Pogo's continues, and the Chuck Diamond group plus sit-ins are at Rainbow Las Vegas, also on Fridays. ... Sundays, one can enjoy good jazz with the Jazz Organ-ization (Santa Fe Pavilion), the Dan Skea 3 (Spago) and the Marv Koral All-Stars (The Melrose).
Monday nights, one can start at the Four Queens (until Sept. 23) at 7:30 p.m., make it to the Riviera for Don Menza & Friends at 9 p.m. and wind up with Joe Darro and Carl Fontana, 10 p.m. at the Showboat.
Afternoons, our favorites, the Sorta Dixie Jazz Band plays Dixieland standards plus big band and vocal tributes, noon to 6 p.m. (Gold Coast), and Bobby Morris has a New Orleans-flavored ensemble, afternoons at the Showboat. ... All of this began with Grant when he picked up the jazz torch from bassist Monk Montgomery a decade and one half ago.
Earlier jazz
During the 1960s and early 1970s, producer Maynard Sloate made the Tropicana Blue Room a class venue for jazz with Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, the Dukes of Dixieland, Pete Fountain, Erroll Garner and Al Hirt plus reconstructions of the great big bands of the past. ... Red Norvo, Montgomery and guitarist Lloyd Ellis held forth in the Tropicana lounge.
Starting in January 1971, for six glorious weeks, Caesars Palace featured a late, late show, starting at 2 a.m. ... The first three weeks featured the orchestras of Duke Ellington and Woody Herman. ... B.B. King had the second three weeks. ... This columnist served as emcee.
Jazz is not dead, nor will it ever be. ... Our schools, including UNLV, are turning out first-class jazz players. ... Thanks to remastering of the jazz classics on CDs, youngsters are discovering the greats of the past, along with Tony Bennett, thanks to MTV. ... Jazz must be heard to survive.
In conclusion
Many thanks, Alan Grant; you've left us an impressive jazz legacy. ... Enjoy New Zealand, if that's where you're going. ... It will be a better, more swinging place because you're there. ... Meanwhile, look for the Riviera brass to continue jazz at the Four Queens, maybe on another night with Don Menza or on Mondays with a different host, someone like Bill Moody, perhaps.
Locally this weekend, it's LV Picnic Pops, 8 p.m. Friday, The Hills Park in Summerlin. ... Theater: Try "Greater Tuna," 8 p.m., Attic-Cafe Neon Theatre; "Blame It on the Movies," great movie songs, 8 p.m., LV Little Theatre; or Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," 8 p.m., Summerlin Library Theatre.
Monday's Brown Bag Concert & Lunch at Debbie Reynolds Hotel offers "Yesterdays and Todays," seating starts at 11 a.m. ... P.J. Belly's Texas Thunder is at Arizona Charlie's through Sunday. ... Sam Butera & the Wildest wrap up a strong run also on Sunday (Boulder Station). ... Catch both.
Star-policy rundown
It's Louie Anderson (Bally's); Chicago (Caesars); Kenny Kerr (Debbie Reynolds Hotel); Wayne Newton, plus Michael Crawford starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Rich Little and his presidents (Sahara); Danny Gans (Stratosphere); and Marty Allen & Karon Kate Blackwell, plus dinner, Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Westward Ho). ... Let's welcome the Royal Irish Show Band back home Tuesday (Showboat).
Concert pianist Arthur Mancini will give a solo recital at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center, which will include works by Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and others. ... See you next Thursday.
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