A Night In Las Vegas - Mary Kaye Trio

 

Get Out Of Town

A Night In Las Vegas

With The Mary Kaye Trio

Vocal With Instrumental Accompaniment

Decca Records DL 8238

1956

From the back cover: Mary Kaye made her debut at a carnival in St. Louis. She as all of three years old and she swayed seductively in a baby-like grass skirt, while her brothers, Norman, an oldster of six, strummed a ukulele. Their father, who had moved his family from Detroit, stood outside and told skeptical customers about the authentic Hawaiian review inside the tent. For the next six years the young Kayes were kept busy in class during the day, doing homework and rehearsing after school, and trouping all over St. Louis in the evenings, winning prizes in almost every theatrical and radio amateur contest in the area.

When Mary and Norman reached their early teens the duo became a trio. With their father, a former swimming champion, they became the Royal Hawaiians. While specializing in Island music, they began to introduce more and more hit songs into their act and were becoming a popular organization when, in 1943, Norman went into the Army. His place was taken by an accordionist Frankie Ross (born Diagio Ross Salvatore Blogna) and, when father Kaye left the group he was replaced by a young bass player, Julie Pursley.

Two years later there was another switch, Norman got out of the service and Julie got into the army. Norman rejoined the group, now known as the Mary Kaye Trio, and when Julie returned to civilian life, Julie was signed out as road manager for the trio. A year later he and Mary were married; they now have a son.

As might be gathered from the foregoing data, the group is a tightly knit family affair. Norman is the most versatile musician of the organization. Besides possessing a large and mellow baritone, he performs on a wide variety of instruments, including the trombone, vibraharp, piano, bass, guitar, alto horn and. of course, the ukulele, which he has played ever since he was old enough to hold one. He is also the composer of about one hundred tunes. Frankie Ross not only provides the comedy for the act but is expert at the accordion. Mary is a virtuoso on the Spanish Guitar and is a singer who has developed a style distinctively her own. Together they are a trio who have become one of the country's most versatile and exciting groups.

From Billboard - April 21, 1956: This group has chalked up a measure of success on the Las Vegas circuit and it's one of the few outfits that get over a good portion of the "in person" excitement on a disk. The arrangements of fine standards have drive, class and sophistication. Miss Kaye's own vocal stylings, not unlike the work of Kay Thompson, gets the spotlight, but plenty is heard from accordionist and comedy and Frankie Ross and the gal's baritone brother, Norman, who also takes a lick on a number of instrumentals. The modern harmonies and unusual vocal gimmicks add ups to listening excitement.

Get Happy

They Didn't Believe Me

The Lonesome Road

Little Girl Blue

And About The Boy

Get Out Of Town with Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires 

Bewitched

I'll Remember April

Wagon Wheels with Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires 

My Funny Valentine

April In Paris

Good-Bye