Ames makes appearance in Summerlin

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 | 8:21 a.m.

Boston native Darin Ames is twice blessed -- not only does he carry the moniker of Darin ("Mack the Knife," "Splish Splash") but his last name matches that of the Ames Brothers, a popular quartet from the '40s and '50s ("Rag Mop," "Sentimental Me" and "You, You, You").

For the past 10 years Ames has made a living as a saloon singer in Boston, performing standards in nightclubs and restaurants and at private functions.

"You name it," Ames said. "If a club had live music, I played it. But after awhile, there wasn't enough work to keep things going."

He's been in Vegas about a year, getting a feel for the city, performing at a variety of venues and networking at such popular hangouts as the Bootlegger Bistro.

"I was hoping I could get a gig at a casino," Ames said. "But the thing I've found is that a lot of the casinos are under the impression that there's not an audience for the standards -- it's reflected in the kind of entertainment booking.

"But I think there's a huge audience for it. I'm hoping the casinos will come around. My gut feeling is that they will."

In the meantime, Ames is exploring his options. Tonight he will showcase his talents during a dinner show at Benedict's Garden Bistro and Terrace in Summerlin.

"In addition to being a nice restaurant, they love my kind of music," Ames said. "Hopefully this will turn into a long-term engagement."

Ames should be a big hit if his choice in backup musicians is any indication of his musical standards. The trio includes three of the best instrumentalists in Las Vegas -- pianist Vincent Falcone, drummer Tim Pratt and bassist Chris Gordan.

Falcone was the musical arranger for Ames' latest CD, "this is Darin Ames."

"I did a New Year's gig at the Suncoast with Vinnie," Ames said. "We'll do it again next year."

It was slow going when he first arrived in town, but he says things have picked up since he began singing at the Bootlegger on Fridays and Saturdays during Sonny King's "Off the Cuff," and after appearing on Dennis Bono's weekly variety radio show at Sam's Town.

"Until I met these guys it was unbelievably difficult. People promised me a lot of things, but they'd forget the next day."

Ames' interest in show business goes beyond the name. His father, Gerry Alch, was a stand-up comic who eventually became a lawyer, working for a time with F. Lee Bailey before serving as a district judge in Massachusetts for 10 years.

Ames' mother, Sandy, was a big-band singer.

Ames started singing and playing guitar around the age of 10.

"By the time I was in my midteens I was performing in bands," he said.

Ames has been exposed to music since birth.

"When I was an infant and cried in the middle of the night, my dad would pick me up and put on 'Songs for Swinging Lovers.' "

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