White a Diamond in the rough

By Jerry Fink (contact)

Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 | 8:55 a.m.

Jay White is a 24-karat Diamond.

For the past two years the 48-year-old Neil Diamond tribute artist has been thrilling fans at Le Bistro Theatre with his dead-on likeness and vocals.

White is one of several performers who sublet the room from Marlene Ricci, a vocalist who became a landlord two years ago when she leased the former lounge from the Riviera and turned it into a 200-seat showroom.

Next year the casino will end its contract with Ricci and resume control of the venue.

The room's future is still a mystery, but there is a strong possibility White will continue to perform there. He says his people and the Riviera's people are talking.

Keeping White would be a good move. Of the phalanx of entertainers who have tried to crack the tough nut of the small room, White is one of the few who have consistently filled the seats.

While performers many have complained of outrageously high rent that makes it impossible to survive financially, White seems to be thriving -- and he uses a backup band.

The superb musicians include keyboardist Brian Tidwell (the musical director), Tony Lasorsa on synthesizer, bassist Darren Harkema, guitarist Kurt Frohlich and drummer Bill Whitaker.

White and his group are so good that Diamond's drummer/percussionist, King Errisson, joined them recently to get in practice for an upcoming Diamond world tour.

Diamond himself has complimented White on his performances, which wouldn't surprise anyone who has seen White's act.

It is a testament to White's talent that he continues to attract generally large crowds (relatively speaking, considering the size of the showroom) during the slowest time of the year for Vegas entertainers.

December traditionally has been the time of year when many venues close their rooms for two to three weeks because of a lack of tourism.

More than 100 fans attended one of White's performances earlier this week. Throughout the evening he had some of them dancing in the aisles and most of them doing the wave from their seats.

During a couple of numbers everyone was on their feet, waving and singing along.

It became a rowdy, fun-filled evening enjoyed equally by the older and the younger fans.

When White steps onstage and into the limelight, wearing a sparkling white shirt open at the chest, you would swear you are seeing and hearing the real thing.

While some tribute artists are content to merely look or sound like the artist as they perform the music or the songs, White throws himself into the act.

When he is onstage, he is Neil Diamond, from the shoulders that are rolled forward to the constant interaction with the audience, building up their enthusiasm, working the room from left to right and back again.

White, who sometimes accompanies himself with an acoustic guitar, never steps out of character in front of his fans. Even when he isn't singing the songs, he holds onto the vocal intonations as he speaks.

It's an act he has been perfecting for more than 20 years, starting out in his native Detroit and ending up at the Imperial Palace, working in John Stuart's "Legends in Concert" for nine years.

White eventually left "Legends," where he had a 12-minute spot twice nightly, and went on the corporate circuit. And then two years ago he took the plunge into a showroom of his own.

The 60-minute show moves quickly. If he gets a gig at Le Bistro next year, fans will be happy that he will get a few more minutes of spotlight time.

White performs many of Diamond's hits from the late '60s to the '80s, among them "Desiree" (1977), "Cherry, Cherry" (1966), "Sweet Caroline" (1969) and "Song Sung Blue" (1971).

He closed with "America," another crowd pleaser that had everyone standing.

With White inspiring the fans, Le Bistro is standing room only.