Jan, featured vocalist, performing arrangements by Brent Price, Casino de Paris
Jan, featured vocalist, performing arrangements by Brent Price, Casino de Paris
Wlith the Nam tour over and back in Michigan in 1969, Jan "dis-banded" the Debs band. Jan wanted to branch out as a solo singer, freed from the confines of holding an instrument. Her complaints about the time in Vietnam were heard by the Amerian agent who sent them there. He vowed to make it up to her by having his brother-in-law, the entertainment director at the Stardust Hotel on the Strip book Jan as the opener for "crooner" Don Cornell and a 6-piece band, so Jan needed arrangements. Mills, coming to the rescue, turned to noted Motown musician Jeep Holland to come up with the needed charts for Jan's 3-song spot in Cornell's show. Little did Mills know that what Holland had hurriedly scratched out for the horn section was nothing more than whole notes, known as "eggs" in musician lingo.
Jan continued to work steadily in Vegas in showrooms at the Desert Inn, Riviera, Frontier, et al. "The piece de resistance came as I scored a coveted spot as featured vocalist in Fredric Apcar's 'Casino de Paris' spectacular at the Dunes Hotel & Casino, backed by a 14-piece orchestra and arrangements by my new mentor Brent Price. [insert link to audio or J's sample cd].
"Casino de Paris" program, Dunes Hotel
Las Vegas 1978
Inside of program, Casino de Paris
Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas 1978
Solo spot, Casino de Paris
1978-1981
Solo spot, Casino de Paris