HISTORY:
1975 | 1977
| 1979 | 1980
| 1981 | 1982 to present
1980
Cal Tjader's Quintet headlined the LVJS Late Night concert at the Sahara Congo
Room June 29, 1980, when the hotel joined the jazz trend Monk Montgomery had
started. Also featured were the Bill Berry L.A. All Star Big Band with singer
Ernie Andrews, trumpeter Jack Sheldon, Pete Candoli, Pete Christlieb, Marshall
Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Buster Cooper, Nat Pierce and Monty Budwig.
Just before the Sahara's jazz initiation, Sonny Stitt had alternated alto and
tenor saxophones in concert at the Hacienda, backed by Las Vegas players: pianist
Vince Falcone, bassist Bob Badgley and drummer Carmen Castaldi. Pianist-editor
John Lindner reviewed the gig in Think Jazz, commenting that Stitt is one who
never veered far from the "righteous path of Bop." Even in 1980 John wrote "It's
hard to believe Bop has become nostalgia."
Jazz listings in the Think Jazz calendar were growing. Fans could hear trombonist
Carl Fontana and tenorman Jimmy Cook Mondays at West Sahara Plaza, nightly jazz
at the Tender Trap, Celebrity Jazz Night Mondays at the Hacienda, Edie Aikels
and band at the Landmark's Skytop Lounge, Bob Sims Trio with drummer Pat Sherrod
and bassist Don Stewart nightly at the Sands, the Kirk Stuart Trio six nights
a week, plus jam sessions at the Musicians Union and Jimmy Cook's Quintet (Cook,
third from left) at Spring Mountain Road sessions on Sunday afternoons. KNPR,
Las Vegas' new FM radio station in 1980, broadcast four hours of jazz nightly
with disc jockeys Dave McNally and Bob Dambach. In 1980 the Jazz Society decided
to present a Summer Seminar in jazz improvisation August 5 and 6 at Reed Whipple
Center with Gus Mancuso, Rudy Aikels and Rick Davis teaching.
The Board of Trustees who were making policy decisions included Monk as president;
Karen Thornton, secretary; Judy Tarte [below], treasurer; Tom Severns, legal
advisor; Lamont Patterson, historian; and Jay Cameron, music coordinator. Other
Board members included Alan Baer, Tony Bennett, Al Brown, Bill Cosby, Ken Hanlon,
Freddie Hubbard, John Palmer and Roosevelt Toston.
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Vegas Jazz
PO Box 60396, Las Vegas, NV 89160
Message Line: 702.313.6778