Columnist Joe Delaney: Mathis, Sedaka bring high vocal quality to LV

Joe Delaney

Friday, May 12, 2000 | 9:02 a.m.

Joe Delaney covers entertainment for the Sun. His column appears Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4066.

Male singers dominate the star-policy scene this mid-May weekend in Las Vegas ... Two of the most enduring vocalists are in town this week only: Johnny Mathis at the Las Vegas Hilton and Neil Sedaka, back in the Orleans showroom through Sunday ... Both, in peak form, have enjoyed hit recordings and albums during each of the past five decades.

Mathis was born in San Francisco and was a record-breaking athlete in high school ... His first Columbia album was supposed to launch him as a jazz singer, backed by some of the finest musicians in the L.A. area ... It was producer Mitch Miller who prevailed, recording that magnificent Mathis voice singing ballads with minimal accompaniment.

Mathis' fourth album in 1958 was the first-ever "Greatest Hits" package, as a result of his having so many hits the first two years ... The album is in the Guinness Book of World Records.

More Mathis

His "Greatest Hits" album spent 10 consecutive years on Billboard's top-selling 100 Albums chart. ... The closest challenger, Carole King's "Tapestry" is the far-short closest contender ... Mathis' current CD, "Mathis on Broadway," has great songs from Broadway musicals, past and present, plus duets with Betty Buckley and Nell Carter.

Anent Sedaka

Born in Brooklyn, Neil Sedaka's earliest training was as a classical pianist ... At age 13, the great Arthur Rubinstein named Sedaka as one of New York's finest young pianists in a state-wide school competition ... Sedaka, too, had a rapid succession of hit record singles in the late '50s, most of which were "bubble gum" pop songs bought mostly by teenagers.

Sedaka's meteoric career flamed out with the British invasion by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, et al., in the mid-'60s ... He retired and moved his family to England where Elton John prevailed upon him to start writing and singing again ... John recorded Sedaka for his Rocket label, producing three hit albums, now re-issued as CDs.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is currently negotiating with Sedaka to do a season on Broadway in a musical based upon Neil's life ... His current tours also include performances with top symphony orchestras.

More vocalists

Clint Holmes (Harrah's) is a jazz-oriented entertainer, and Wayne Newton (Stardust) has few peers in the care and handling of an audience as a singing performer. When Danny Gans returns, you can enjoy songs as sung by some 50 top vocalists ... Until Danny does return, you do have Bill Acosta (Luxor) and Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian), plus the Scintas (LV Hilton); Robbie Howard and the Walkers (Lady Luck) and "The Rat Pack Is Back" (Sahara).

Correction: Sam Butera & The Wildest are not now scheduled to play the Santa Fe on June 2-3, but they are at the Tropicana, tonight through Sunday, the Regent Las Vegas next week and again, June 6-18 ... Marlene Ricci closes Sunday at the Regent.

The 18-piece Nevada Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Barry Ross, performs its final concert of the season, Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Winchester Community Center ... See you next Thursday.