From Publishers Weekly
Gavin, in his first book, tells the story of New York's intimate nightclubs from their origins in Prohibition speakeasies and brothels through their heyday in the 1940s and '50s to their eventual decline in recent years as TV, rock'n'roll and diminishing audiences have taken their tolls. Deftly blending picturesque descriptions of the venues and lively characterizations of their often eccentric owners and performers, he recreates the colorful atmospheres of Le Ruban Blue, the Blue Angel, the Bon Soir, the Downstairs Room and many other clubs where such entrepreneurs as Herbert Jacoby, Max Gordon, Julius Monk and Spivy presided, and where stars Mabel Mercer, Hildegarde, Pat Carroll, Dorothy Loudon, Eartha Kitt, Kaye Ballard and Johnny Mathis beguiled audiences. This is a rich and intriguing history, entertainingly told. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
From Library Journal
Gavin provides an inside look at the New York cabaret scene from the 1930s to its present decline. From tiny piano lounges to lavish clubs that attracted the rich and famous, readers are afforded brief glimpses into the early careers of performers like Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, and Joan Rivers. Gavin also profiles the failures and successes of cabaret owners and managers like Herbert Jacoby and Julius Monk. The book is well researched through trade journals and theater columns, and enhanced by the author's personal observations. A discography is provided but an index would have been more useful. The book is well written and sometimes fascinating to read, but the subject does not have a wide audience. For larger collections.
- Tim LaBorie, St. Joseph's Univ., PhiladelphiaCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
