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Ink Spots
Reviewer:
James
Once
again, the opportunity to see some nostalgia was presented by Hiawatha
Track/Slots on Monday, March 24, 2003. This was a dinner/show presentation.
Hiawatha is very easy to access, with ample free parking and if you park far
enough away, the shuttle will whisk you to the main doors. With ticket in hand,
I arrived about 5:30 during the dinner segment of the evening. Dinner was
served from 5pm - 6:30pm. I was met at the doors by a friendly hostess who
directed me to my table and issued me my dinner voucher and a complimentary
$2.00 token for the slots.
Dinner was 2 pork cutlets, fries, baby carrots and a slice of white raisin
bread. For a mass produced dinner, it was still very warm and the pork was
tender. I think roasted potatoes would have been a better choice than fries. A
waitress was always available for condiments and for drink orders. Service was
wonderful. My dinner was in front of me with in 10 minutes of sitting down.
This was a pre-selected menu, so it was reminiscent of school cafeteria days,
but this was tasty.
At 6:30 sharp, the lights went dim and the MC Jim Weir,
morning host of CHOK, went on stage and welcomed everyone. With his
introduction of "the most imitated band" we were underway with a show down
memory lane. The Ink Spots were formed in 1936 and went through several name
changes resting on "INK SPOTS" when lead singer Bill Kenny was filling out a
contract and the pen he was using blotched on the paper...thus the name. None
of the original members are with us today, but they're legacy continues. The
band has 4 musicians and three lead singers. They came out in White Tux's and
as a well rehearsed group of singers, they opened immediately with a ballad from
the 1940's. Harmony was the key to this groups success. And it continues today.
I'm too young to remember much of their music, but two songs jumped out. "Mack
the Knife", later made famous by Bobby Darin and "If I Didn't Care" an Ink Spots
classic from WWII. With a jazzy mix of music and a classic R&B approach, the
show was flawless. The INK SPOTS have performed with Duke Ellington, Vera Lynn
and Ella Fitzgerald, with countless TV appearances and over 80 hit records. They
are managed from New York City and several make their home in Florida.
The current INK SPOTS consist of HAROLD WINLEY Bass
Singer/Narrator performing 40+ years with the group... SONNY HATCHETT Second
Lead/Second Tenor and is the Group's comedian... GRANT KITCHINGS, Lead Tenor
Grant was Jim Nabbie's choice to be his successor shortly before Jim's passing
in September 1992. MORRIS DOW Baritone/Guitarist known as one of the finest jazz
harmonica players. Musical accompaniment was by the JIMMY BOLLER TRIO. More
information about the group can be found at www.theinkspots.com Following the
show, they met with fans and signed autographs. This was the first "Classy"
show I'd seen in sometime. I really enjoyed it.
The evening was very enjoyable and the sound system was perfect. The cost for
this dinner/show was $20.00 Canadian. The show lasted 80 minutes and even
included a few minutes of "Stand-Up" comedy from Sonny. To include dinner with
this level of entertainment, the price was on target. I broke it down in my
mind as $15 for the show and $5 for dinner. For 2 1/2 hours, you would be hard
pressed to find an evening's entertainment of this caliber.
James
Previous SR Concert Reviews
Endeavor, Six Foot Daisies and Flicker
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