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M-30 Las Vegas MIRROR, June 5,1981 *-.<?╜=<"j*^ Trop s Lounge Salute to Jazz Headed Toward *?·?·?╜ ' MS* fSsi "/?ecofof /?un ftiE-3^ -Vv-Trx ;:?√ß?√ß?√ß -vi H-'v-.-: ;-v-vftr, **?√ß?√ß.?√ß:?╟≤#.- * &?·y?s *$iKF%")*<f3Ci, ???╜-.; ?╜t*i&>s??**. ?╜'.';., >A*W AUSSERITA MATHIS &^P Hi IVERY WHEELER -ASS**? w*y il . ?√ß >*.'"- NORMA MILLER By JOE CROSS ' Mirror Managing Editor -. tf you're in a betting mood, here's a iittie tip r for ya' -- .?╟≤ put your money on a new show called "Let Me Off Uptown ?╟≤?╟≤ as * the one they'll be calling the surprise hit show of the year in this, a city that all-too-seldom gets ^something as new and '*> refreshing as this one. :..4 JC?'Tucked away In the ".Cabaret Room, the Recently r; renamed ];;Tropicana Hotel lounge, '- Let. Me Off Uptown is .what they calf, in spor-v tswriting terms a sleeper. They didn't say much ahead of time about the show that producers Lenny and Mickey Martin had put together ?╟÷ but it didn't take long to realize they'd found some magic, both from : "within" the small cast to the selection of , '.'?√ß'music. .'?╟≤ ?√ß"<.<?╟≤?√ß?√ß' >'-v ?"'-?╟≤&?╟≤?╜" '.Hearkening back to the golden days of 'Harlem, when it was alive with the greatest -jazz musicians 'living. the show moves from one old jazz standard to another. . ? > Led by some veteran singers, there are no ups and downs ?╟÷ it just keeps getting better ?╟÷ through the 14-number production. Bobby Wade, who came to fame as a rock and roll musician back in the 1960s when he took over the famed Imperials after Little Anthony went on his own, stuns people who are used to his rock image. Decked out in a white /.tux, Wade sings "Low "Down Blues" and "Midnight Sun" solo and he sounds like he grew up in the '40s, singing that sort of great music all his life. The other male In the cast is a young dancer- singer named (very Wheeler, a local product who has a notable background in working on TV specials and stage productions, he makes his debut as a principal performer in a revue in this one. An auspicious debut at that, especially as he dances his way through the old Fats Waller tune. "Feets Too Big." Each of the six performers is highlighted in ?╟≤ song or two and veteran jazz singer. Ooris Troy leads off the evening then comes back with excellent versions of "A Train" and "What A Difference A Day Makes." She and. ' Wade . teamed .for a couple ?╟÷ "Let Me Off Uptown," the opening number and "Route : 66," along with the rest of the cast. . ' . 3 ; ',- ,?╟≤, >vv ' , :j.. ?√ß S ?╟≤''. V They've even got a 'new face that seems destined for a lot of ?╟≤work in this town. She's Valerie Jackson, a ' young singer who has a lot of experience as a background singer ?╟÷ and one very well- received appearance recently at Caesars Palace's Cleopatra's Barge ?╟÷ but this is her first reat shot in Las Vegas. She has a voice that's soon going to be compared to some of the great jazz singers of the past. .; Not only that, she's beautiful. Her "Mean To Me" was simply outstanding. So was the "Honeysuckle Rose" duet with Wade. Jackson, Ausserita Mathis and Wade combined for a different version of "Satin Doll" and Ausserita came back with a touching "Misty." Then there's Norma Miller who does the vocals on "Feets Too Big" and , with the rest of the cast, really gets Into a gospel medley ?╟÷ an idea the performers themselves suggested, by the way, during rehearsal.. ?╟÷ that winds up the show. The music provided by the Terry Ryan Trio is a s good as the rest of the evening . Others in the group are drummer Eagle-Eye Shields and Rudy Aikels on bass. Ryan is on the kgyboard. - JjByan and Lenny Martin teamed to do the arrangements and vocals and the production is staged and directed by Jerry Jackson and the rest of 'em had better not have any other plans in the near future. They're going to be around for a^long time with this one^g The show plays at 10 p.m. and midnight with a special 2 a.m. performance "on the weekends. ?╟≤-.*."?√ß ~ ?√ß:~-%^* ml % VALERIE JACKSO? tilt!*'* V BOBBY WAD wy^sw^T^1^, %. HU -. fr'4*; .*.-?╟≤& ??.!.:?√ß ?√ß ?√ß DORIS TRO