The Death of Jazz in Vegas

I have come to realize that Jazz is dead in Vegas. The vision I have of a casino lounge with a Jazz quartet off in the corner, saxophone spinning out a soft “Take Five”, no longer exists. The idea of a tall and tan brunette in a low cut sequined gown cozying up to a microphone and cooing a soft jazzy “The Girl from Ipanema” is just a fantasy.

Is that what I really saw in 1980 when I took off for a few days to play Blackjack and Craps? Do I remember sitting in a lounge, sipping a scotch and relaxing to some smooth jazz or is it just my memory of some late night Rat Pack era movie set in a place that no longer exists and maybe never did?

We checked out the lounges on the strip and found no Jazz. Bellagio has a restaurant with live piano playing mood music and that’s as close as we could come. The Fontana lounge had an 80’s throwback band and even at Bally’s who preserves old style Vegas with their Jubilee! with kick lines of show girls wearing thousands of rhinestones concealing almost nothing had a loud rock band on their lounge stage.

I think some of the musicians still get it. The Piano player in the Petrossian Bar lit up when Jerry asked him to play “All Blues” from Miles Davis’ seminal “Kinda Blue” jazz album. I suspect there is some underground jazz movement here in Vegas. I might just have to search a little harder for it.

In the meantime, I might pedal over to Bellagio and slip the piano player a request for “Take Five” or “Harlem Nocturne”.