Frankie Moreno’s path to fame features Joshua Bell, Paul McCartney, Simon Cowell and a few camels

By John Katsilometes

Monday, June 13, 2011 | 5:19 p.m.

We’ve all been there: One moment you’re finishing a camelback tour of the Pyramids in Egypt. The next, your cell phone blares, and on the other end of the call is a representative from Simon Cowell’s production company, ready to change your life.

Or, try this: One moment you’re seated behind the piano at Rush Lounge at the Golden Nugget, performing a majestic version of “Eleanor Rigby” for maybe 50 enthusiastic lounge dwellers. The next, you’re performing “Eleanor Rigby” with violin virtuoso Joshua Bell for Paul McCartney and at a VIP party celebrating the fifth anniversary of “Love” at the Mirage.

In Frankie Moreno’s adventure-filled world, where for fun he plays Rush Lounge and Garfield’s on the Lake at Desert Shores, these moments are all connected. The man connecting them happens to be Bell. Simon Cowell plays a role, too.

It all started a couple of years ago, when Bell stopped in to see Moreno perform at Rush Lounge. There was a plan, as the classically trained violin master is not quite the type to frequent lounges on Fremont Street.

Rather, Bell had heard of Moreno from common friends who play in the Las Vegas Philharmonic and was curious to see the rising artist in action. Bell had just finished a performance with the L.V. Phil at Ham Hall at UNLV and joined a group of musicians who caught Moreno’s rowdy, late-night show at the Golden Nugget.

Between sets, the two met and talked. Bell was impressed at Moreno’s musicianship (he is a terrific pianist) and songwriting productivity (he writes constantly). Bell told Moreno of an album Bell was working on and offered, “You have to be on this album.”

“Sure!” Moreno said, understanding Bell’s substantial crossover appeal. But the album’s title, “At Home With Friends,” didn’t quite give Moreno a clear idea of what he’d agreed to.

“I didn’t know anything else about the album, other than it was Joshua Bell’s album,” Moreno said on last week’s episode of “Kats With the Dish,” which aired Friday on KUNV 91.5-FM (the show is linked in this column). “But it turns out that Josh Groban is on this record. Chris Botti, the trumpet player, is on this record. Regina Spektor is on this record. Kristin Chenowith is on this record. It goes on and on … I had no idea of the magnitude of this record. Sting is on this record.”

Moreno and Bell recorded the song and an accompanying video, which swiftly shot across the Internet on YouTube, further solidifying their partnership. It’s been quite a ride already.

Bell’s album was recorded for label Masterworks, a subsidiary of Sony Records, which has since signed Moreno and his band to record an album tentatively set to be released this fall. The album is being recorded primarily at Odds on Studios in Henderson.

“All of the writing we’ve been doing has been for this record,” Moreno says. To keep sharp, the band plays Garfield’s on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and is back at Rush Lounge on Saturday at 11 p.m. (He's also shooting a video at the Lounge at the Palms on Tuesday from 10-11 p.m., free and open to the public).

“Eleanor Rigby” is usually part of Moreno's show, and the cover version of that song featuring Bell and Moreno caught the ear of Paul McCartney, who reportedly loved it.

Not coincidentally, the two were subsequently invited to perform the song at the “Love” after-party at Mirage’s Bare Pool Lounge. There were murmurs McCartney himself would take the stage, but not quite. They did meet, for the first time, but not many in attendance were too familiar with Moreno. Nonetheless, he has made important inroads in the entertainment industry. Cowell, a man always looking out for promising talent, heard the recording of “Eleanor Rigby” soon after it was released and tracked down Moreno.

It was not easy. The brothers Moreno -- Frankie, Tony and Ricky – happened to be in Egypt when Cowell’s reps attempted to set up a meeting between Frankie and the one-man entertainment juggernaut.

Why were they in Egypt? To write songs.

“Sometimes when we can’t write, we book a flight and go someplace crazy, just to be inspired,” he said during the radio interview. “We booked a flight to Egypt, and we left before things got really crazy there only because we had to book a performance for a guy named, um, Simon Cowell from ‘American Idol.’”

Um, congratulations.

How this happened: When they finished a day of songwriting, and camel riding, Frankie’s cell phone showed a number with a “212” area code. He had no idea who was on the other end but was impressed that he was able to get service in Cairo when he often can’t pick up reception even at Rush Lounge.

Cut to the short: The man on the other end wanted to bring Moreno to London to perform for Cowell, who had designs on possibly using Moreno on one of his TV shows and also on tour. Moreno returned to Vegas, flew to New York and then to London to make the required professional and logistic connection to perform for Cowell at a club in Piccadilly Circus.

Thirty reps from Cowell’s production company, SyCo, were on hand. The performance lasted 12, maybe 15 minutes.

“That was the whole audition,” Moreno said. “All that travel for a 12-minute show.”

The man who must be impressed above all others was impressed. Cowell likes Moreno and has made plans to roll Moreno out on tour as an opening act for Michael Buble this year, and also to feature him as a guest performer on “X Factor.” Not as a contestant, but as an actual, featured artist. No dates for any of this have been established, but what is certain is the new album will feature a mix of original songs and popular covers. “

“This all started because I met Joshua Bell,” Moreno said. He met Bell in a lounge in Vegas, where dreams still can come true.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow "Kats With the Dish" at twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.