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The author's father knew what he was doing when he bought the expensive gift for his young son. By purchasing the pricey saxophone, he was taking a short-term risk for a longer-term goal: keeping his son out of the steel mills of Ohio that broke far too many men. Mulidore grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, a notch on the rust belt of America. The author grew up in an area where men either took to the back-breaking steel mills or wandered into the beguiling embrace of the Youngstown underworld. Mulidore's father and grandfather viewed both options as futures with nothing but dead ends, particularly the treacherous world of organized crime, where more than a few known neighbors had their lives cut short.
The writer's skill as a saxophonist did not occur overnight but was cultivated through years of practice, both in and out of Ohio. He would fine-tune his playing on the road in his teenage years, often going on extended summer tours. He attended college at Ohio State, but a temporary move to New York led to receiving further music tutelage from a Juilliard professor. The author's career would not truly take off until he decided to relocate to Las Vegas in 1957, a gamble that, while frustrating in the beginning, proved to be transformative for the young man. While initially playing various clubs on and off the Strip, Mulidore established himself once he began playing the casinos, from the El Rancho to the Sands to the Hilton.
Whether as part of a backing band or as a band leader, the author played his heart out for the legends, from Elvis Presley to Frank Sinatra. While Sinatra could be controlling and curmudgeonly, Presley was affable and occasionally a prankster. The colorful nature of many of Mulidore's anecdotes comes from his interactions with various well-known personalities. While Vegas was a reprieve from the dangers of Youngstown, Jimmy wasn't averse to flirting with danger, as a few romantic liaisons nearly ended in grave bodily harm.
Memoirs of entertainers never cease to be enjoyable, and this is no different when told from the perspective of a talented musician and Las Vegas luminary such as Jimmy Mulidore. An autobiography that begins on the streets of a blue-collar city and progresses to the glitz and glamour of Sin City, the writer's story contains more than enough music, seductive women, and occasional danger to transfix the mind of an avid reader of noir stories. In recalling his eventful life, there is no mistaking the author's bare-bones honesty in sharing the highs and lows of a gifted musician, bandleader, and authentic Las Vegas showman. There is no shortage of entertaining stories in this excellent book, whether it be a torrid affair with Ann Margaret, golf hijinks with Joe Pesci, or intrigue between fellow bandleaders at the top Vegas casinos. Mulidore's story is both well crafted and well told from beginning to end. Fans of celebrity autobiographies that are filled with all the juicy stories that keep the allure of the show business world alive will likely relish this read.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review