Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 18

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Monday, August 2, 1W SEENJIM RICHARDSON C-2 New Mt. Lebanon cafe orchestrates a tasty routine MUSIC REVIEW Dynamic j. duo: Sanborn and Jarreau i 4 i "ill 7 m' iriw iwinnrnmriiwui I 'y'V A-'r-lr I 4 i Waiter-singer Gregg Himelstein takes his turn at the microphone at Friday eve, the cur-f 1 tain went up at Max's I Opera Cafe in the Gal- leria, Mt. Lebanon, complete with hundreds of guests. Puccini to pastrami, Sondheim to salads, Rossini to ribs and Porter to pasta along with incredible desserts combined to make up this chic New York-style, deli-saloon opening.

Adding to the ambience were servers who you will just have to see and hear. Owners Dorothy Krakower and Susan and Robert Toncheff greeted guests along with restaurant brainchild Dennis Berkowitz, a native Pittsburgher who has 14 restaurants in California. Beneath the cafe's soft neon lighting, from the bar, past the deli counter, to the glass-enclosed solarium, Seen spotted "toasters" such as General Manager Scott Zeckzer with fiance Beth McDonald, Ted Belich of South Hills Sports Medicine, Mary Anne Fried and Suzanne Wray from the Pittsburgh Opera, Carl Shoemaker and Maria Monaco, Morris and Jeanette Medgaus, Jan and John Getz, Bill and Maria Hart, Dr. Richard and Nancy Miller, Bev Morrow and Ned Snow (that's Beverly Morrow Associates, who coordinated the event), Yvonne and Sam Carlson, Jean and Charlie Home, Mi-chele Madoff telling all about fiance Jack Sweeney, Yvonne Zanos, Bruce Kaplan of KDKA, with Carol, Margaret Ringel Baker, the restaurant's interior designer, Jay and Lynn Rayvid, super model David Cohen, photoman Andy Wagner, Bill and Alana Lawrence, Jim and Sherri Sul-kowski, Uona Hafner, Rita and Dan Will, Johanna Tonti, Dennis Berkowitz, Sara and Ron Lock-ard, she's Magic 97, Jim and Marilyn Quinn, Herky Pollock and Phyllis Monheim, Nancy Sauers, Betty Nadrash. George and Jean Pallis, Michael Iannone, standout singer-server Michael Monni-kendam, Diane Zilinskas and show-stopping children Samantha Kamphaus and Allyson and Alex Tylka.

The lavish gardens of Carol and Joe Massaro's Oakmont swan-kenda provided the perfect setting for their annual summer dinnerparty soiree Saturday. Every bloom seemed perfect including the Don Buffalo towering floral displays on the dining tables, all set on the sprawling lawn to go along with cocktails, luscious hors d'oeuvres and dinner catered by Churchill Country Club, making for a splendid eve. There were even "look-sees" at the grand oil painting on the foyer ceiling, filled with family cherubs commissioned by Joe and Carol from artists Joe Palermo and Celestino Navarro, who were among the guests. Also spotted were Jim and Electra ginia Kerr, Vince Gillen, Bernadette Ciotti, actress Streeter Nelson, Jo-Anne Bates, Kathleen Zimbicki, Elvira Peake, Leonoor and Lisle Zehner, Bob Grote, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts executive director, with Nancy, Holly Bulvony of La Fond Gallery, artist Mary Brenholts, Vicky Clark, Will Real, Patricia Goettel, PCA's director of sales, and architect Sheldon. Tollerton from Together for Retarded Youth; Attorney Frank Las-ki of Philadelphia, for his years of defending the individual rights of people with retardation; and Lex Tsaggaris of Vanadium Enterprises, who was named Volunteer of the Year.

Essay contest winners Tim Flood, Annie Corcoran and Shawn Robinson received prizes of U.S. savings bonds, while their proud parents beamed. Also spotted enjoying the evening were ARC-Allegheny Board President Susan Mussman with other half Richard and daughter Tina, and Peggy Finnegan of WPXI-TV, who was master of ceremonies for the dinner. And on the same eve, Pittsburgh's newest dinner theater, Cafe Jacqie in Webster Hall on Fifth Avenue, staged a special performance of "And The World Goes 'Round." Spotted with Jude and Shirley Pohl, the show's producers, was Ross Cafaro, general manager of Cafe Jacqie, who greeted guests such as director Ernest W. Watson, musical director Clay Zambo, cast members Katherine Baker, Bob Doran, Kathy Montgomery, Abby Nassif and Michael Rohlf, Frank and Marie Carlow with Frank's brother Joe, advertisement By Tony Norman Post-Gazette Staff Writer David Sanborn and Al Jarreau were the perfect double bill for at evening of fusion and pop-minded reverie at Star Lake Amphitheatre-last night.

Though occupying distinctly different points on the jazz spectrum (Sanborn's hard and nasty sax plqfe ing to Jarreau's guy-next-door ladeering), both provided useful primers on the state of that oxymoron called pop-jazz. While purists may gulp at the suggestion that either represents the music's past or future, Sanborn and Jarreau were too busy jamming, singing and charming the mellow audience of 7,100 to lose any sleep over "lack of orthodoxy." Of the two, Sanborn and his fiver piece band turned in the evening's strongest set, sticking closest to jazz's funky, hard-hitting and impro-visational roots. Opening with "Run for Sanborn established the evening's emotional tenor with a slamming, almost rock-like demonstration of his band's versatility. On "Snakes and also on "Ben ny," a tribute to his hero, saxophon ist benny tarter, aanoorn resisted the urge to telegraph his horn's dexterity by laying back and letting the band do the initial sketching-' When he finally punctuated both' songs with his distinctive wail, the crowd rewarded them all with appreciative applause. This was Sanborn's pattern all evening, whether chilling out arid then exploding on "Chicago," the, muscular "Slam," the gorgeous "Straight for Cover" or the exotic shenanigans of "Camel," the saxo phonist convinced us that less could be more if the band is capable enough.

Keyboardist Ricky Peterson and drummer Michael White were par-t ticularly adept on "Dream," the, night's high point. Jarreau was no slouch, either, as he shimmied into the collective heart with pop standards, as varied as "Trouble in "We're in this Love Together" and "Boogie Down." His finest moment, and there; were many, was "Since I Fell for, You," a duet with his back-up singer. Whether any of this qualifies as jazz is irrelevent to the question of whether it entertains and moves art audience. Sanborn and Jarreat) have already won that Physicians then consider using more aggressive therapy, such as -arrhythmia mapping and surgery during which the arrhythmia's point of origin is pinpointed and surgically removed or an auto- matic implantable defibrillator. This device, placed within the chest cavity, senses the arrhythmia and automatically "shocks" the heart back into normal rhythm.

The automatic implantable defibrillator has been used for the last 12 years as the most effective way to prevent sudden death from certain arrhythmias in appropriate patients, Dr. Fogoros said. Until recently, the defibrillator was implanted only in those who had survived a sudden death episode. Now, in about 20 medical centers across the country including Allegheny General, automatic defibrillators are being used as a preventive measure in patients identified as high-risk candidates for sudden death. For wore information about arrhythmias, please see your personal physician or call Allegheny General Hospital's Physician Referral Service at (412) 359-3027.

People with hearing impairments may call TDD at (4 12) 359-3960. A medical education series provided by Allegheny General Hospital AUlGHtNY GENERAL HOSPITAL 320 Cost North Avenue Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania 15212 Electrophysiology studies help detect dangerous heart rhythms i 1 the opening of Max's Opera Cafe at the Galleria. Ai Fuchs; Post-Gazette Pat DiCesare and Kathy, Chaz Schaldenbrand and Eileen, that's Heinz-Healey, Joe and Marge Curcio, Pam Kormanik and Carol Moss, Laura Nee, Melissa Lowrey, Morry Goldberg and "Nunsense" cast members Keith and Melanie Kirchartz, Janet Fanale, Lisa Panza, Angela De-Filippo, Joan Ammon and Rita Kelly. On July 25, over a thousand guests attended the gala Ronald McDonald House "Phantom" Champagne Brunch at Heinz Hall prior to the performance of "Phantom of the Opera." Jim Cameron was master of cermonies and Chuck Noll, newly inducted into the Hall of Fame, was on hand to draw the winning raffle tickets.

Spotted were Joe and Babe Gordon, Robbie Hofmann, M.J. and Ellie Delligatti, Larry Werner, Joyce and Don O'Connor, Connie and Paul Mockenhaupt, Dick Colver, John Connelly and daughter Audree, Dr. Joe Mirro, chief of hematology and oncology at Children's Hospital, Fran and Paula Daily, Jack and Joanne Hamm, Bill and Janice Grattan, John and Gladys Brown and Dave, Mary Lou and Twila Peters. Next week advertisement "Once an arrhythmia has been induced, we can test different medications to see which most effectively controls or prevents arrhythmias," said Richard N. Fogoros, M.D., director of Allegheny General's Section of Electrophysiology.

People at high risk include those who have survived a heart attack and also have premature ventricular complexes, or extra heartbeats. Often, survivors of a sudden death episode are initially diagnosed as having had a second heart attack when, in fact, they have experienced arrhythmia. High-risk candidates should be evaluated with EP studies to predict and help prevent a sudden death episode, as well as to determine and select appropriate therapy. "Before EP studies, it was difficult to confirm whether patients were having arrhythmias. Consequently, many patients were treated with anti-arrhythmic medication when, in fact, the problem may have originated elsewhere," said Dr.

Fogoros, who is associate professor of medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. "Recently, large national studies have shown that treating these people with antiarrhythmic medications can sometimes be more dangerous than not treating them at all." Not everyone's arrhythmias adequately respond to the medications tested during the EP studies. Agras, Matthew Cavanaugh, Steven Massaro with Linda Cost, Jeanne Caliguiri with Sam Pitts, Helen and Steve Casey, Charles and Jackie Ferrara, Neal and June Holmes, Allen and Winnie Cousin, Martin and Ann McGuinn, Ronald and Maureen Puntil, Ben and Patricia Tuchi, Mossey and Carol Murphy, Mon-signor William Kerr, president of La Roche College, the hosts' granddaughter Alexandra Studnicky in a striking gold lame party dress, Anthony and Eileen Massaro, Dolores Bold, Connie Rockwell, Nick Kratsa with daughter Melissa, Damian and Terry Soffer, Herb and Becky Torbin, Dr. Alexander Silverman and Rosalind, Richard and Marsetta Schweiger, Joseph and Noreen Orlando, Kathy and Bill Proven-zano. Elin and Jim Roddey, Pam and Jim Ferry, Hoddy and Mary Anne Hanna.

Ralph and Bobbi Aiello, Jack Doherty and birthday lady Eleanor and Jack Feeney. "Pittsburgh 7," an exhibit of the work of seven Pittsburgh artists, opened at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts to a full house on Friday. Seen spotted the "seven" with names like Suzanne Slavick, Phil Rostek, Ed Kerr, James Nelson, Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Seth Dickerman and Angelo Ciotti. Also attending were Murray Home, Marcia Rostek, Vir ber in Japan. Of course, it's not easy being a Jolson fanatic.

Your spouse can't understand it. Your children hate your music. People give you strange looks. James Brockson, 61, of Prospect Park, is used to the scorn. "My wife barely tolerates Jolson.

She's never gone to a convention with me. My kids think I'm nuts. They can't understand it. But I could listen to Jolson all day." What makes Jolson-mania particularly hard to understand is that most society members never saw him perform live or even remember his radio performances. Now 46, Casale was only 3 when Jolson died.

"I guess I was about 14 when I saw 'The Jolson Story' and got hooked," said Casale, a postal worker. "I have two big collections at home 1950s rock 'n' roll and Al Jolson." Born in 1886 in Russia, Asa Yoel-son was the son of a synagogue cantor. He was raised in Washington, D.C., and launched a career in minstrel and vaudeville shows, then moved on to Broadway, film and radio. In 1927, he starred in "The Jazz Singer," the first talkie. Like i jiuMt iflMWHW wwmmm.

xx xa um luiimnmug. mummi MJ f.m mwnmmmm J0H. mm iiui imiuu u.i.u I-X'' -iff 1iH-Csv 1 -t The Association for Retarded Citizens of Allegheny County staged a grand event Thursday eve at the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers, with hundreds of volunteers and guests gathering in the Kings Garden. Accepting ARC Awards of Excellence for their tireless volunteer contributions were Dr. Joseph Angelo, winner of the agency's prestigious Sattler Humanitarian Award for his years of service on behalf of people with retardation; Ellen Siciliano, longtime advocate for educational rights; Edward Cloonan, president of the Independent State Store Union, for his efforts to have responsible liquor sales throughout the state; William and Marianne Macauley, for establishing the Challenger Division of Little League; Kim Lieb, executive director of St.

Anthony School Programs; Hedda Sharapan, who accepted the media award on behalf of Fred Rogers; Margaret United Press International fans' dreams Elvis, Jolson was called "The King." Jolson died in San Francisco in 1950 after giving 42 performances before American troops in Korea. Just about all Jolson Society members have extensive collections. "He recorded 114 78 rpm records. I'm missing six," Casale said. "I have his Playbills one is a rare one from 1905 movie posters and most of his 500 pieces of sheet music." The society sells everything from Jolson T-shirts and key chains to videos of his 15 movies and tapes of scores of his radio broadcasts.

Twice a year it publishes a thick photo- and fact-filled magazine called "The Jolson Journal." There's an annual convention, which will be held in Philadelphia in 1995. Brockson has sponsored sev eral one-day Jolson miniconven tions that draw about 70 fans to see videos, swap memorabilia and enjoy Jolson impersonators. Information on the International Al Jolson Society can be obtained by contacting: James Brockson, 933 5th Ave', Prospect Park, Pa. 19076. AI Jolson in "The Jazz Singer," 1 first full-length talking movie.

Jolson lives as 'King' in After the 59-year-old man experienced a heart attack, a cardiac catheterization helped physicians at Allegheny General Hospital detect several partially blocked arteries and recommend bypass surgery. The patient underwent surgery, recovered completely and returned to work within a short time. At home six months after surgery, the man lost consciousness one day; his heartbeat and breathing stopped. Upon examination, doctors found the patient's new grafts from the bypass surgery remained open. He had not had a second heart attack; he had experienced what physicians call a "sudden death episode." About 500,000 people each year in the United States die from this condition, which is caused by arrhythmias unusually fast rhythms of the heart that unexpectedly stop the heartbeat.

Sudden death episodes occur when an electrical abnormality develops in a section of heart tissue. Without warning, the abnormality may "short circuit" and interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood. To help identify individuals who experience arrhythmias that place them at high risk for sudden death, physicians use electrophysiology (EP) studies, tests of the heart's electrical properties. In Allegheny General's EP Laboratory, electro-physiologists attempt to induce an arrhythmia to confirm the presence of an electrical abnormality in the heart. By Ron Avery Philadelphia Dai'y News PHILADELPHIA Just say the name "Al Jolson" to Phil Episcopo and the guy breaks into a high-decibel recitation that runs 10 minutes before he takes his first breath.

"This man was truly the greatest entertainer in the world. Frank Sinatra couldn't shine this man's shoes; and I'm an Italian, Catholic. He was a guy who would take over the stage by himself. Make the other performers sit in the audience and entertain from 8 until 1 a.m. Then he would take everyone into a bar and sing for another two hours.

He did it all, and he did it first!" You think Elvis fans are fanatics? Meet the Jolson groupies still in awe and worshipful of an idol who died 43 years ago. Admittedly, there are fewer than a thousand members of the International Al Jolson Society, but they make up in zeal and activity what thev lack in numbers. The Philadelphia area is a Jolson Society stronghold with about 28 members in the region. There are several society members in England, Australia and other English- speaking couptries and one mem.