Columnist Jerry Fink: Gents of Swing satisfy with helping of Wrice

Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 | 8:13 a.m.

The first thing you notice about Larry "Wild" Wrice is the hat.

"Some people who don't know my name just call me the hat man," said 78-year-old Wrice, whose trio -- The Gents of Swing -- perform from about 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for Sunday brunches at the Artisan, 1501 W. Sahara Ave.

The front of the crown of Wrice's western hat has a distinctive feather.

You rarely see him without his head covered.

"It's my identification," he said.

His name, Wild Wrice, is as distinctive as the hat.

"It's Cherokee," he said. "My great-great grandfather married a Cherokee Indian."

And even more distinctive than the hat and the name are his dual careers.

Wrice, born and raised in Chicago, has split his time between his two loves -- music and skiiing.

He's a world class drummer whose first drumsticks were given to him by Gene Krupa.

And he is a ski instructor who for years taught the sport for Playboy at its clubs located near ski areas.

"That's how I've lived for 27 years," he said.

But music came first.

Wrice learned to play drums when he was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps in Chicago, which he joined at age 12.

Wrice could play, but he didn't own his first set of drums until he was 21.

His mentors were Krupa, Buddy Rich and other drummers who became popular during the big-band era.

After high school Wrice worked at the Sherman Hotel as a band boy -- catering to the needs of the steady stream of big bands who played there: Cab Calloway. Tommy Dorsey. Jimmy Dorsey. Lionel Hampton. Count Bassie.

It was the years before and during World War II, which came along when Wrice was too young for the service.

"Woody Herman came through during the war," Wrice recalled. "He had war bond signs on front of the bandstand."

Every major big band in the country played at the hotel at one time or another.

"One time Kruppa found me drumming with a pair of forks and he gave me a set of drumsticks," Wrice said.

Wrice's musical career did develop until he got out of the service in 1949, when he was 21.

He won a series of amateur contests on a radio station in Chicago, which led to his getting a job as a drummer for the station, accompanying a pianist.

That's when Wrice bought his first set of drums.

From there he moved into clubs around Chicago, forming his own bands.

Eventually Wrice joined touring bands, traveling around the country and performing in such venues as the famed Apollo Club in New York.

Among those whom he performed with is the legendary queen of R&B, Ruth Brown, a Las Vegas resident who sometimes performs at Bootlegger Bistro.

He was a studio drummer for Mowtown.

And he became a ski instructor for the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva, Wis., when it opened in 1968.

"I had learned to give ski instructions in Vail, Colorado when I worked with (jazz pianist) Dorothy Donegan in Denver," Wrice said.

He had always enjoyed skiing and says he was always broke in Denver because he would spend all of the money he earned in a week on ski trips.

Vail took applications for members of a ski patrol.

"I knew they would give you food and lodging at half price," Wrice said.

After a while with the ski patrol he went to ski college and became an instructor at Vail, Colo. -- teaching there during the day, then driving back to Denver to perform at night.

"Back then there was a two-lane highway between Denver and Vail," Wrice said. "I drove 210 miles a day."

In 1991 Wrice went on a short tour of Europe and ended up staying 10 years -- performing in clubs and teaching skiing.

In 2000 he returned to the United States with his girlfriend, Louise Busschers, a native of Holland. They married shortly after arriving in Las Vegas.

"I wanted to move to Las Vegas to be around show business," he said.

Since settling in Vegas he has continued to perform, mostly substituting for drummers at various gigs. He often can be heard at Steven David's. He may have a few nights added to his Sunday brunch gig at the Artisan.

And he has written a book on skiing, "How to Learn to Ski in Your Stocking Feet."

"I've invented a new method of teaching skiing indoors," Wrice said.

He says he is gearing up to doing some more instructing. And he would like to form a ski club for those over 55.

And he hopes to do some recording.

Meanwhile, he's content with his gig at the Artisan, where he began June 9.

"It's the only place I know of that plays straight jazz," Wrice said. "There's no gambling. No one joins the band to sing or play. It's not a jam session."

Lounging around

Bob Shindelar, formerly with Ice, will become the senior VIP host for TAO nightclub which opens Sept. 23 at the Venetian.

The new $22 million venue includes a 3,000 square foot ultralounge and a 10,000 square foot nightclub, in addition to a 400 seat restaurant and eight private sky boxes complete with mini bars.

There will be varying music formats,

John Kaye & The Overlords perform at the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings at 8 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

Goodsprings is about 20 miles south of Las Vegas.

From 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. tonight the group will perform at the Aruba Hotel & Spa, 1215 S. Las Vegas Blvd., in a benefit for the Diabetic Life Foundation.

Drop by Steven David's, 545 E. Sahara Ave., for an evening of dining and music that will benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

David is donating 25 percent of his gross receipts to the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross, with the funds to be used for disaster relief.

The fundraising began Wednesday and continues through Saturday.