Bugatti Live On the Strip

Brooklyn-born George Bugatti took Horace Greeley's advice to heart and went West when he was a young man. Now firmly ensconced at the mammoth Hotel Bellagro in Las Vegas, the good-looking singer has now released his second album. Four square in the tradition of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Bobby Darin, Bugatti delivers with enthusiasm and fervor a program of 13 tunes, mostly those traditional pop tunes that have not yet attained the stature of classic standard but which are familiar to most listeners of this musical genre. And like these giants, especially Sinatra and Darin, Bugatti can be lighthearted, sardonic, witty, and romantic with a street-wise way with the lyrics. Bugatti uses his musicians to his advantage. Jerry Merra's tenor is sweet on "Angel Eyes" and sassy on "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me," fully in sync with the singer's delivery of these tunes. Clyde Duell's drums punctuate the up-tempo tunes and lay down a soft beat for the ballads. A highlight of the album is Steve Allen's sophisticated, cosmopolitan "The Usual Place" where Mary Bugatti joins in with her attractive voice. Bugatti does a nice job with Matt Dennis's last tune, "I Miss Your Love."

With the passing in recent years of so many good male singers, Bugatti, while perhaps never reaching the same level of stardom, nonetheless has the equipment to help fill this void. One problem with this otherwise excellent outing is a stingy amount of playing time, less than 40 minutes of music, about the same length of time for his first album The Steve Allen Songbook. Bugatti has to learn that people who have to pay anywhere from $15 to $18 for a CD have a right to expect more playing minutes. From strictly an artistic standpoint, this album is recommended.