Rhino Records RZine

Rhino Wins Grammy Nominations 2005 -

If there was a theme to the 47^th annual Grammy Awards, it was Ray Charles, and even though the big winner Genius Loves Company is the only Ray record not released by Rhino/Warner Strategic Marketing, we managed to garner five Grammys of our own. As testament to the breadth and quality of its releases, Rhino/WSM took home statuettes in the Best Boxed Set Package, Best Long Form Video, and Best Classical Vocal Performance categories.

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (Boxed Set)
$64.98 CD
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Spanning 1976-1992, this is the first-ever Talking Heads box. With over 50 tracks on three CDs, this uniquely packaged set features hits and album tracks, as well as previously unreleased rarities, outtakes, and alternate versions. Also includes a DVD with the out-of-print video compilation Storytelling Giant and three previously unreleased bonus clips. An 80-page booklet features a band history written by all four founding members.

Best Long Form Music Video

Concert For George (DVD)
$29.99 DVD
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Filmed in high-definition video at London's Royal Albert Hall on the first anniversary of George Harrison's passing, this two-DVD set celebrates the artist's life and music with performances by a who's who of popular music. Performers include Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Monty Python, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar and Ringo Starr.

Best Classical Vocal Performance

Susan Graham - Ives: Songs
$16.98 CD
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Charles Ives was an American original, a self-taught composer whose work anticipated by many decades modern trends in musical thought. Warner Classics honors New England’s favorite son in the 50th year since his death with a recording of the forceful Concord Sonata and a number of the songs. The dazzling American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, named Vocalist of the Year by Musical America in 2003, is partnered with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard in this striking program.

They Aren't Rhino, But They're Still Winners

Album of the Year

Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company
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Best Rock Album

Green Day - American Idiot
$18.98 CD
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Best Alternative Music Album

Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
$18.98 CD
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Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Call My Name") and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Musicology")

Prince - Musicology
$18.98 CD
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Best Urban/Alternative Performance ("Cross My Mind")

Jill Scott - Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2
$18.98 CD
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Best Rap Album

Kanye West - The College Dropout
$13.95 CD
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Best Country Album and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals ("Portland Oregon")

Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
$13.95 CD
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Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Bill Frisell - Unspeakable
$18.98 CD
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Best Contemporary Folk Album

Steve Earle - The Revolution Starts... Now
$17.98 CD
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Best Historical Album

Night Train To Nashville - VARIOUS ARTISTS
$19.95 CD
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Rhino's Grammy Nominations 2005 -

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Emmylou Harris - “The Connection,” from The Very Best Of Emmylou Harris
$18.98 CD
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This first-ever comprehensive single-disc collection spans Emmylou's career with 20 tracks, including the brand-new recording "The Connection." Includes the #1 country singles "Together Again" and "Two More Bottles Of Wine," as well as her Grammy-winning duet with Roy Orbison, "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," and "To Know Him Is To Love Him," with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, from their #1 country album Trio.

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

Beyond The Sea (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)
$18.98 Cd
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Among a handful of entertainers to bridge the gap between '50s rock fans and their Sinatra-loving parents, Bobby Darin led an extraordinary life, as portrayed in this 2004 biopic directed by and starring Kevin Spacey. The Phil Ramone-produced soundtrack features Spacey singing 18 Darin favorites, including "Mack The Knife," "Beyond The Sea," and "Splish Splash."

Ray (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)
$18.98 Cd
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Ray is the feature-length Ray Charles biopic, premiering in the fall of 2004 and starring Jamie Foxx as Brother Ray. This soundtrack gathers 16 of Ray's original master recordings to which Foxx lip-synchs in the film. Included are such classics as "Hit The Road, Jack," "Georgia On My Mind," and "I Can't Stop Loving You.

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

Ray (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE)
$18.98 Cd
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Ray is the 2004 feature-length Ray Charles biopic, starring Jamie Foxx as Brother Ray. Over 50 minutes long, the film's sweeping score was written by veteran composer Craig Armstrong, whose music for Moulin Rouge was recently honored with a Golden Globe® award for Best Original Score. Interspersed between the musical selections are snippets of dialogue from the film.

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Ray Charles - Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959)
$149.98 Cd
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Ray Charles is an American legend beyond compare. This deluxe eight-disc box set proves it by encompassing Ray's entire Atlantic Records repertoire on the first six CDs. Additionally, the set includes an entire disc (27 tracks, all but three previously unreleased) of outtakes, live recordings, and alternate versions. Plus, there's a bonus DVD that features Ray live at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 and an exclusive interview with Ahmet Ertegun, conducted by Ray Director Taylor Hackford. Special packaging features a record player-style box and a linen-bound hardback book.

Weird Tales Of The Ramones
$64.98 Cd
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The Ramones' sensational end-of-the-century juggernaut is chronicled as never before on this career-spanning collection. Johnny Ramone compiled Weird Tales, the first-ever Ramones box, before his death in 2004. Three audio discs gather 85 tracks, and an additional DVD presents an hour of rare footage and essential video clips. A full-color, 52-page book contains graphic novel liner notes and illustrations by 25 top comic artists, including Sergio Aragones (Mad magazine), Bill Stout (EC Comics), Bill Griffith (Zippy The Pinhead), Xaime Hernandez (Love And Rockets), and Carol Lay (WayLay). Must be seen to be believed!

Best Album Notes

Ray Charles - Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959)
$149.98 Cd
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Best Historical Album

Ray Charles - Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959)
$149.98 Cd
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Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Curtis Mayfield - “Superfly” (Louie Vega EOL Mix), from Remixed: The Curtis Mayfield Collection
$18.98 Cd
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Ten Curtis classics remixed by an all-star lineup of contemporary mix masters and club culture icons, including Little Louie Vega, Grandmaster Flash, Ashley Beedle, Eric Kupper, King Britt Scuba, and others. Includes special foil-stamped packaging and track-by-track commentary by each remixer.

Best Long Form Music Video

End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones
$19.99 DVD
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Here it is, the anticipated Ramones documentary that made its theatrical debut in August 2004. End Of The Century moves from the band's CBGB and London heydays, the decade-long silence between Joey and Johnny caused by a dispute over a girl, through to the deaths of Joey and Dee Dee Ramone and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2002. Together with unseen live and studio footage, extensive interviews with ex-band mates, family, friends and figures from New York City's punk scene, End Of The Century not only chronicles an important chapter in music history, but also the bonds of childhood friendship and their gradual breakdown.

Brian Wilson Presents Smile
$29.99 DVD
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An incredible two-disc package! Rhino's Brian Wilson Presents Smile contains the acclaimed feature-length documentary Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson And The Story of Smile, as well as an exclusive live performance of the long-awaited album, never-before-seen interviews, a recording session featurette, and intimate performances featuring Wilson at the piano. Additional features include 5.1 surround mixes, isolated soundtrack, photo gallery, and collectible two-sided poster.

Best Spoken Word Album For Children

Marlo Thomas & Friends - Thanks & Giving All Year Long
$18.98 Cd
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The audio companion to Marlo Thomas' book anthology of the same name, Thanks & Giving compiles songs and spoken word selections from a host of musicians and notables. The collection, whose proceeds will benefit the world-renowned St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, was conceived "in celebration of, and thanks for, the children in our lives who are healthy, and to give to those who are not -- so that one day all children will be healthy." Featured artists include Hilary Duff, Robin Williams, Sheryl Crow, Jennifer Aniston, and many others

Rhino Wins Emmy Nomination 2006 -

Congratulations to Barry Manilow and to all of our Emmy winners and nominees.

On August 27th, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded the 2005-2006 Primetime Emmys for programs and individual achievements. Rhino had nominations in four categories and three winners, including Barry Manilow for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for Manilow: Music And Passion. Barry performed “The Bandstand Boogie” for the Emmy audience.

Barry Manilow - Manilow: Music & Passion

$24.98 DVD
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Shot in high-definition, this two-DVD set also contains two compelling featurettes that not only give the fans an inside look at what goes into producing his live Vegas show and the PBS Special, but also the outtakes during the shoot (like when Barry lost his voice singing "Unchained Melody" and didn't know if he could go on with the show!).

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM

Barry Manilow, Performer

South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall

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Broadway loves Reba McEntire. The redheaded Oklahoma firebrand took on the one-night-only role of Nellie Forbush on June 9, 2005—the role Mary Martin immortalized in the 1949 Rodgers & Hammerstein classic South Pacific—and the Rialto’s toughest critics, led by The New York Times’ Ben Brantley, instantly surrendered.

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall
Paul Gemignani, Musical Director and Conductor

Eagles: Farewell I Tour - Live From Melbourne

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Shot in Hi Definition, the DVD captures the Eagles' sold-out November 2004 Melbourne, Australia, concerts from their historic Farewell I tour and features the Eagles performing almost three hours of classic hits in addition to the debut of two new tracks.

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIAL OR ANIMATION

Elliot Scheiner, Music Recorded and Mixed By
Sue Pelino, Post Production Audio Mixer

Rhino's Emmy Nomination 2006 -

South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall

$19.98 DVD
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OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall
Paul Gemignani, Musical Director and Conductor

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAM

South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall

Barry Manilow - Manilow: Music & Passion

$24.98 DVD
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OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM

Barry Manilow, Performer

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIAL OR ANIMATION

Tom Davis, Audio/Music Mixer
John Zvolensky, Audio Sweetening
Steve Johnson, Audio Sweetening

Eagles: Farewell I Tour - Live From Melbourne

$29.99 DVD
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OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIAL OR ANIMATION

Elliot Scheiner, Music Recorded and Mixed By
Sue Pelino, Post Production Audio Mixer

Rhino's Grammy Nomination 2007 -

Black Sabbath - The Dio Years

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This first-ever compilation spotlighting Sabbath's Ronnie James Dio-fronted years spans 1980-2006 with 16 thundering tracks, including "Neon Nights," "Lady Evil," "Children Of The Sea," "The Mob Rules," and more. Also features the brand-new recordings "The Devil Cried," "Shadow Of The Wind," and "Ear In The Wall."

Best Recording Package

Art Director: Masaki Koike

What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977)

$64.98 CD
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Funk emerged in the 1960s, a scorching sound that amped up the spirit of R&B and became the precursor to hip-hop. While major artists topped the charts with funk hits throughout the '60s and '70s, What It Is! celebrates the smaller ones—the heady, groove-monstrous strain of gutbucket funk that remains a major force in American music.

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Art Director: Masaki Koike

Forever Changing: The Golden Age Of Elektra Records 1963-1973

$69.98 CD
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An unprecedented five-disc boxed set, Forever Changing: The Golden Age Of Elektra Records-1963 to 1973, focuses on the heyday of the Elektra label as it made the transition from folk music to folk rock, before fully embracing electric rock.

Best Historical Album

Compilation Producers: Stuart Batsford, Mick Houghton & Phil Smee, ; Mastering Engineers: Dan Hersch & Bill Inglot

Love Is The Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970

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The only thing that doesn't come with this unprecedented, multi-artist 4 CD boxed set chronicling the San Francisco sound of the 1960s is the flowers for your hair! Released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the psychedelic, free-spirited Summer Of Love - that began just after the historic Monterey Pop Festival in June '67 - LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965 - 1970 weighs in at 77 tracks totaling over 4-_ hours of music.

Best Historical Album

Compilation Producers: Alec Palao; Mastering Engineers: Dan Hersch, Bill Inglot & Dave Schultz

Rhino's Golden Globe Nomination 2008 -

Nominations were announced today for THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION'S GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS. Ryan Reynolds, Hayden Panettiere, Dane Cook and Quentin Tarantino presented the nomination list at The Beverly Hilton. Juno received 3 nominations.

Various Artists - Juno (Music From The Motion Picture)

$13.98 CD
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Soundtrack for the award-winning coming of age film JUNO, featuring a breakthrough performance from Ellen Page in the title role, blends indie and classic rock gems.

BEST PICTURE Musical or Comedy

Diablo Cody

BEST PICTURE SCREENPLAY

Diablo Cody

BEST FEMALE LEAD Musical or Comedy

Ellen Page

On iTunes

Rhino has released the Juno soundtrack digitally this week and it will be in-stores on Jan 15th.

Take An American Journey With Bob Dylan -

For more than half a century, Bob Dylan has been perplexing critics and thrilling listeners with songs informed by America’s greatest literary and musical traditions. The beginnings of his ongoing artistic quest are the focus of an upcoming retrospective at Los Angeles’ Skirball Cultural Center: Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-1966, running from February 8 to June 8.

Originally mounted at Seattle’s Experience Music Project, the exhibit features more than 160 pieces of Dylan memorabilia, from handwritten drafts of classic songs to rare concert posters and recordings. Accompanying the display is an extensive program of speakers, film screenings, and interactive music-making exploring the creative legacy of one of the most important cultural figures of our age.

Though Bob Dylan isn’t really a Rhino artist, we are proud to co-sponsor this presentation at The Skirball Center – the final stop for the acclaimed exhibition. From his roots in Hibbing, Minnesota to New York’s Greenwich Village and the world stage, Bob Dylan’s American Journey takes visitors through a time when a single voice could inspire a generation.

For further information about Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-1966 or to purchase advance tickets, visit the Skirball Cultural Center Web site at www.skirball.org.

Rocky's Movie Corner - Beowulf

The expectation was for Beowulf to be just another Bob Zemeckis potboiler, a plundering of the public domain, a maudlin mash-up of heavy-metal mythology. This critic, however, was pulled through the film's silver-gray patina and emotionally injected into the maw of the movie. The lusty language transported me to a time of yore, a bygone age when fair maidens could don simple garb and steal the breath of young squires.

I was transported to 1976, to be exact. Ms. Hotchkiss was leading our English Lit. class on a week-long slog through Beowulf. In a room full of big hair and bad skin, beauty took a back seat - literally. As each student rose and strode to the front of the class to read aloud a few pages, an awareness of something magical seeped into the air. The girls were wearing a brand of jeans called Dittos that flattered the female form in a way unseen before or since. The snug denim squeezed the round haunches and continued up to a high beltline proudly cinched just below the navel. Best of all, there were no pockets, no piping and no labels to litter the smooth topography of the female form.

The golden age of the gluteus was tragically short-lived, asphyxiated in 1980 by Calvin Klein when he seduced Brooke Shields into purring, “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” Today a girl could type that motto into MySpace and thirty middle-aged pedophiles would respond, “kewl.” Back then, however, twenty five years before Dateline and Chris Hansen, flaunting a fifteen year old beauty - on her back, legs in the air, announcing to the world that she was going commando - was a legitimate marketing strategy.

Like Beowulf, Dittos have become the stuff of lore. Could a leader as noble as Beowulf actually have existed? Were jeans ever really that sexy? Today's world is so full of feeble politicians and ghastly True Religion jeans that it hurts to realize how we have turned our backs on our higher selves. But the romantic clings to the legends, less concerned with proving that these ideals did exist and more focused on the notion that they could and they should.

More Rocky Reviews

When not obsessing over the first two seasons of Charlie's Angels, Rocky Petralia can be found tackling the mysteries of life at HelloRocky.com.

Interview With Joel Dorn -

Producer Joel Dorn was responsible for some of the most memorable jazz recordings of the last generation as a staff producer at Atlantic Records, as well as his own 32 and M imprints. He's also compiled numerous collections of vintage jazz, including the successful Rhino/Atlantic Jazz Remasters series. We caught up with Joel recently to get his two cents on jazz past, present and future...

Rhino: What turned you on to jazz in the first place?

Joel Dorn: I've been interested in music since a very early age. My mother used to play Al Jolson records for me during WWII when I was like, a year and a half old. And when I got into my early teens, it was in the '50s and it was kind of hip to dig jazz then. That's when all of the Miles stuff and the Brubeck stuff and Horace Silver and people like that were starting to reach out to people once they got past their high school years -- you know, when you kind of got into college and started digging jazz? So there was a lot of jazz around and it was a hip music to dig at that time. I didn't get into it easily at first, because I didn't really understand it -- it sounded strange to me. I didn't understand what the solos were about and why it didn't sound like other music. But there was something strangely appealing about it, and after a while, I got it. And I've loved it ever since.

R: What was the most memorable live jazz performance you ever saw?

J: Well, there isn't one. I grew up in Philly, so I enjoyed going to clubs like Pep's, and The Showboat, and The Cadillac and seeing the jazz groups like Horace Silver and Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane and Art Blakey and all the singers like Lou Rawls and Johnny Hartman and Oscar Brown Jr., people like that. And the trios like Ramsey Lewis and Les McCann and the exotic performers like Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Yusef Lateef and Eddie Harris. There was a circuit then and guys would play the major cities for a week and Philadelphia had three clubs and I was a disc jockey in those years, a jazz disc jockey, so I was in the clubs every night. So it wasn't so much a particular performance, it was the scene at the time. Although I will tell you that the Cannonball Adderly Sextet that featured Yusef Lateef was one of my favorite groups ever - I loved to see Cannonball, loved to see Horace.

R: What was your first assignment at Atlantic Records?

J: My first assignment at Atlantic Records? I had been in correspondence with Neshui Ertegun from the age of 14. Neshui had been very kind to me - we corresponded and he sent me records and he listened to my idiotic ideas and he actually answered them, answered the letters that contained them. And pretty much from that time I had been begging and pleading to have him give me a job. I had a lot of balls -- I used to beg and plead to let me get a job as a producer at Atlantic while I was still in high school! And when I became a disc jockey, it gave me a little bit more of an entry card. When I went on the air, I became a very effective seller of Atlantic Records in Philadelphia. So my relationship with Neshui tightened up.

It got to the point after I'd produced a few records that I'd gotten independent financing for, Neshui called me one day and said “Do you really want to be a producer?” I said “Yeah” he said “Here's your assignment: go find somebody that no one's ever heard of and I'll give you $1500 to make a record - that covers signing the artist, your producer's fee, paying for the sessions, paying for the cover, paying for mastering.” In those days, you could do an album for $1500, you know? And I said “OK.” And there was a young flute player in Mongo Santamaria's band that I was turned on to by the owner of Pep's Showbar in Philly, Jack Goldenburg, who knew of my assignment. His name was Hubert Laws. And he was the first artist I ever found, first artist I ever signed, first artist I ever produced. And the album was very successful in relative terms and Hubert was the new star of the year in Downbeat that year on flute.

So it was a good beginning and then I continued to produce independently and had a few albums that did fairly well - most especially an album called Bagpipe Blues by Rufus Harley. And then in May of 1967 after bothering Neshui for 11 years he called me to New York and he said “You're gonna work at Atlantic as a producer.” And I worked as his assistant, and as an independent producer, talent scout, promoter, liner note copy checker, album cover maker, you know what I mean - in those days we did everything.

R: Having produced pop recordings as well as jazz, do you consciously approach the two styles differently in the studio?

J: Not really. I mean a record's a record, you know? So I try to approach each record on its own merits. For instance, there was a time when I was simultaneously recording Roland Kirk, Bette Midler, Kate Smith, Asleep At the Wheel, and Don McLean. That's a pretty across-the-board combination of artists. But each album was approached through my general viewpoint. If you were a movie director and you were working on a Western, and then your next movie was a love story and your next movie was a pirate movie, you would have a general way that you would approach anything that you do and then you would adapt that way to each specific film - the same thing with a record.

R: Is there one most artistically satisfying experience you've had in the studio that you could point to?

J: There are many of them. Sometimes it's just one cut on an album, sometimes it's the relationship with the artist, sometimes it's an album in and of itself. I could tell you that it was always a lot of fun working with the jazz guys, especially Kirk and Lateef and Les McCann, Fathead, and Hank Crawford because they were friends as well as artists that I enjoyed working with and respected very much. By the same token, it was great working with the Neville Brothers, it was great working with Roberta Flack and Bette Midler, it was great working with Leon Redbone, you know. There's so many different kinds of artists. For instance one of my favorite cuts I ever produced was “Day By Day” by Jimmy Scott. But then one of my favorite albums was recording Marion Williams in her own church in Philadelphia at a service there.

And you know what? I made a box set for Rhino called The Heavyweight Champion - the Coltrane box set. That was as exciting to work with Coltrane's music as it was to go into the studio and record somebody live -- it was thrilling. Making a compilation like Jazz For A Rainy Afternoon that you just make because you think that it's a good idea and it ends up selling hundreds and hundreds of thousands of albums and spawns a series that sells a million. I'm as surprised by it as anything.

R: You've worked with a wide variety of artists. Is there anyone you would single out as being particularly underappreciated?

J: When I recorded Jimmy Scott in 1969, you couldn't give his records away. Jimmy Scott is an international star now. There are people I've worked with like Les McCann who I always though was never fully appreciated. A pianist like Ray Bryant. A lot of the jazz guys I felt never got their due. Kirk and Lateef. But then, you know I had a chance to work with a lot of people in overdub situations like the Drifters or Joe Venuti. It was just a pleasure to work with them; being able to put the Drifters on a record or put Joe Venuti on a record.

I've been really fortunate in that I've kind of -- not 100%, but it's never 100% -- but I'd say in the '90s for sure I've been able to work with who I've wanted to work with and been able to do with them what I've wanted to do, whether that was saying “Here, do this” or just sitting back and letting them do what they do. For instance, last year I recorded a girl named Jane Monhite - a very nice singer that someone brought to me - and the record's taking off like a rocket. And she's a terrific person to work with and a great young singer. So even though the talent pool for the kind of talent that I like is not what it used to be - I mean by the time I was 30, I'd recorded Charles Mingus and Max Roach, and are not any Charles Mingus or Max Roachs around -- but there are pockets of people here and there that still give me that feeling in my belly. And that's always what I look for.

R: If you could clear up any myth or misconception about jazz, what would it be?

J: I don't think jazz is a music for everybody. I guess, a lot of jazz people when you ask a question like that will say "Jazz is a terrific music and I wish more people appreciated it." For me, I think there's a kind of jazz for a lot of people who don't think they like jazz. And I think the “Jazz For...” series that we did at 32 proved that. So I guess if there's a misconception, it would be: it's not the listener's responsibility to come to jazz, it's our responsibility -- the producer's, the artist's, the record company's -- to present jazz that could be appreciated by more people to those people. To spend the time and the money to market it and get it to 'em. Not try and shove jazz down their throats, but try and expose them to the many varieties of jazz. And then I think people would be surprised at, not how many billions of people would come to jazz, but how many hundreds of thousands would come to it.

R: Would you say that technology is changing jazz the same as it has pop or rock music?

J: Yeah, it's managed to fuck it up pretty much the same way it's done it with the other musics! And by the same token it's made it more accessible to people. For instance, one of my sons, Adam, is an artist, a techno artist I guess you would say because he makes all of his music electronically...

R: Mocean Worker?

J: Mocean Worker, right. And he makes it in his bedroom, he has a studio in the bedroom. So whereas when I was a kid you had to have access to a studio and all those things, now kids can get equipment for not too much money. And they can start to build their own home studios and you can start to make music on your own. So in that way the technology has really made creativity available to a lot of people who might not have had it if they had to go through the whole “I have to have a studio” scene that we did when we were kids. On the other hand, technology sometimes is limiting because it kind of lets you come in a little later in the game than people of my generation had to. The technology does some of the work. Here's the analogy I'm trying to make: if you know how to use a calculator, you might not have to suffer through long division. Does that make sense?

R: Can you give us your take on the state of jazz today - who you think the major players are and where they'll take the music?

J: I think jazz now is a music that's being maintained. So I applaud the young players who are keeping the music alive. What's sad for me in a certain way is that we're not living in a time of giants, that we're not living in a time of originals. There are very few originals. So, while there are some excellent musicians, and while they're playing very well, when I grew up you had Miles, Trane, Mingus, Monk, Horace, Cannonball, Basie was still wailin', Lester Young was alive, Billie Holiday was alive, Ellington had a band, you know what I mean? It was one seminal artist after another - Louis Armstrong was playing someplace every night. Now you have a lot of excellent musicians - and I won't negate their excellence - but it's not a time of people who are originals and giants and where you can turn around and hear something stunningly new and world-class practically anyplace you turned to. But you have to have in-between periods like this, until you get to the next generation of giants and originals.

R: Could you pick your top 3 or 4 all-time favorite jazz records?

J: Well, obviously Kind Of Blue, you know, because it's just so definitive. And then um... it's less jazz records that I like than jazz artists. I've always been drawn to Cannonball's best work, to Horace Silver's best work, to the albums by Coltrane - especially Favorite Things and Giant Steps and the album he made with Johnny Hartman and the best of the things he did on Impulse! I like Monk, especially the Riverside things, you know. There's so much, it's really difficult to pinpoint it. There would be a time when I could tell you “yeah, these are my three favorite records.” I'm too old and I've been around too long to have three favorite records anymore!

R: Let's finish up with some of you favorite memories of working at Atlantic

J: Well, you know, working at Atlantic was the favorite memory. Because I was working for one of the absolute giants of the recording industry, Neshui Ertegun, a man of exquisite taste and vision. And also his brother Ahmet and Jerry Wexler. They put together a company where the only thing you chased was excellence. And even though I started there as the jazz producer, I could sign a Bette Midler, I could sign a Jimmy Scott, I could sign a Roberta Flack - and still work with Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Fathead, Hank Crawford, Rahsaan, or Yusef, that gang of people. I'll tell you it was thrilling the night we recorded “Killing Me Softly” 'cause I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it wasn't any more exciting than doing “Day By Day” with Jimmy Scott. Or “Ladies Man” with Oscar Brown Jr. Or recording the Layers album or the Invitation To Openness album with Les McCann. Or going in and just recording Yusef and Rahsaan twice a year and being surprised by the magic stuff they would continue to bring in and never repeat themselves. It was some experience. Man, let me tell you, when I say those days are over, please believe me.

R: Do you have more personal memories of some these folks? What sticks out in your mind about, for instance, Charles Mingus?

J: I knew Mingus from my disc jockey days in Philadelphia because he came by the station. The first interview I ever did with an artist - when I was 19 ; I'd never interviewed anybody in my life - and the first one was an absolutely livid Charles Mingus! Who burst into the studio when I was on the air doing a blizzard because someone had said something about him in a newspaper - he was ready to kill somebody. So, when I got to record Mingus (we did the reunion concert at Carnegie Hall), he was as sweet as sugar the night we worked together. Then I'd see him come up to Atlantic sometimes and it was practically a cavalry charge on the building, you know! He was a very mercurial, volatile person. Don't forget I was a kid, I was in my teens, when I started this stuff and it's really an interesting thing to go and buy a Max Roach record and then eight months later be working in the studio with him. That's a lot for a kid. Or to pick out people when I was a disc jockey and say “when I get to be a record producer this is my guy” and sign Roland Kirk or Yusef Lateef or Les McCann or Eddie Harris, you know? I absolutely started at the top of the food chain by working for Atlantic, and I learned my craft and hopefully a little bit of art on the fly. You can't imagine; I thought that was normal!

I've really been lucky; you know if someone can say they're blessed - in September of this year 2001, it'll be 40 years I'm doing this. It's still exciting, it's still fresh, I can still get excited by a new concept, a new idea, a new artist. I don't know if that happens in a lot of lives. I will also tell you that it's a roller coaster ride and it's an up-and-down kind of life and you have to reinvent yourself all the time and you gotta stay fresh and you gotta keep your edge and you gotta keep reaching. But it beats working for the government, you know?

Noted Atlantic Jazz Producer Joel Dorn - Passes Away at 65

LOS ANGELES - Joel Dorn, the producer behind many of Atlantic Records' most successful jazz releases, passed away suddenly yesterday. He was 65.

Dorn's affiliation with Atlantic spanned decades, beginning as an independent producer for the label in the early 1960s. He soon joined the company's legendary in-house production staff, and with mentor Nesuhi Ertegun, recorded some of the greatest jazz artists of the era before branching out with equal success into pop, rock, and R&B. When Rhino began to reissue the Atlantic jazz catalog in 1993, Dorn spearheaded the campaign, producing and annotating nearly two dozen titles. In addition to his work for Atlantic and Rhino, Dorn released archival recordings on his own labels Night, M, and 32 Records (including the highly successful Jazz For A Rainy Afternoon compilations).

Born on April 7, 1942, Joel Dorn grew up in Philadelphia and took to music at an early age, working as a disc jockey for local station WHAT-FM while still in his teens. Inspired by Ray Charles' iconic recordings for Atlantic, Dorn began corresponding with Nesuhi Ertegun, a relationship that eventually led to a job at the label's New York office in May of 1967. It was an age of musical exploration, in jazz as well as rock, and Dorn's approach behind the boards - fashioning a framework that would allow musicians maximum freedom - brought out the best in such artists as Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Yusef Lateef, and Herbie Mann.

It was an approach that worked equally well in the pop and R&B arenas. In 1972 and 1973, Dorn won consecutive “Record Of The Year” GRAMMYS as producer of Roberta Flack's hits “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Dorn was also at the helm for seminal releases from the likes of Bette Midler (The Divine Miss M), The Allman Brothers (Idlewild South), Leon Redbone (On The Track), The Neville Brothers (Fiyo On The Bayou), and many others.

::Read an interview with Joel Dorn from 2001

Ramones Prize Pack -

Punk forefathers Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy, Marky, Richie, and C-Jay Ramone outlasted almost every one of their legions of followers. For over twenty years, they delivered their signature garage-flavored, ear-shattering chainsaw level and pop-skewed sound through a string of now-classic, loud-and-fast punk rock LPs, and 2,263 concerts together. This new two DVD set captures the essence of the legendary racket they made with over four hours of rare and previously unreleased live footage that's the closest you can get to experiencing this blitzkrieg of a band. Enter for a chance to win the Ramones It's Alive 1974-1996 DVD plus a poster. All entries must be received by November 21, 2007. One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

::Read the rules

Rocky's Movie Corner - 30 Days Of Night

Every time I go to the movies I feel like Marty McFly. Six dollars for a Coke? Sounds about right-- for the year 2027.

“Do I look like I rode here on a hover board?” I wisecrack to the girl behind the counter, Jessica.

She gives me a puzzled stare. I let it go.

“Medium Coke, small popcorn, no butter.”

That's a six dollar coke and a four dollar popcorn. A sawbuck. No big deal. I've learned to go to the movies the same way I go to Vegas -- emotionally detached from my cash. Any other attitude would be maddening. I follow the Eastern way of peace, harmony and acceptance.

But Jessica takes a big dump in my Zen garden by asking if I want to try a “Medium Combo” for just eleven dollars. I ask what the medium combo includes. She explains that it's a medium coke and a medium popcorn.

“Huh?” I mumble, “A medium popcorn is five dollars. A medium coke is six. But if I get them together in the combo it costs me eleven?”

“That's right!”

“What's the point of ordering a combo if I don't save any money?”

“Well,” she hesitates, “It's kind of fun. And it's fast, too.”

“It's not fun,” I opine, “And it's not fast either. My way, I say 'Medium Coke, medium popcorn, no butter' and I've gotten my order in with six words. But your way I say 'Medium Combo' and we're just getting started because then you have to ask me 'What type of drink?' right? So I say, 'Hmm, I think I'll have a Coke' and we're still not done because you're going to ask me if I want butter on my popcorn. See? We end up having this whole Aristotelian dialogue.”

At this point Jessica's boss, Matt, stepped up and asked if there was a problem.

“He doesn't want a combo,” Jessica explains, “He thinks it's Australian.”

Anyway, I took my medium Coke and small popcorn into the theater and watched 30 Days of Night, which, compared to the above conversation, was even more stupid.

More Rocky Reviews

When Rocky Petralia is not annoying the staff at the Foothill Ranch Regal Theaters, he is busy answering reader's questions at HelloRocky.com.

Win a Joy Division Vinyl set -

The influential post-punk pioneers are back on vinyl, and you have a chance to score. Unknown Pleasures, Closer, and Still vinyl reissues will be available on September 25th, but you can enter for your chance to win now. All entries must be received by October 19, 2007. One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

::Read the rules

Rocky's Movie Corner - Good Luck Chuck

In a fever dream I'm at a palindrome party. Anna and Bob are there. Mom and Dad bring sis. Then some dude named Toby shows up -- uninvited. I awake, woozy and despondent, forced to admit that mankind's efforts to impose order on the universe are doomed to failure. I plant bluegrass but harvest fescue. I fly to Bombay but land in Mumbai. And I pay eight dollars to see a comedy called Good Luck Chuck that is in every way unfunny.

It's all part of life's descending arpeggio. From the tinkling high notes of youth to the basso profundo that thumps from the Grim Reaper's boom box, the one constant is an unpredictable melody. The cosmic jam band spews a helter-skelter mix of diminished chords that lodge in the small crawl space of the upper cranium.

Participation in civilization seemed simple at first. Men wanted chicks and women sought hubbies. In truth, people sought company for the holidays. But chicks can be hicks and hubbies get chubby and renaming Hanukkah “Chanukah” can't undo any of this. Culturally, we live below sea-level, and the levees of literature have been replaced by porous plasma screens incapable of holding back the murky waters of mediocrity.

Still, like a hacky-sack at a yard sale a movie needs a tag. Can we label Good Luck Chuck a comedy? I suppose. We still call a severed foot a foot, even though it lacks the utility of other feet. Good Luck Chuck is the severed foot of summer comedies, afoot at your local Cineplex until its fetid rottenness forces the distributor to lug it out back and lob it into the food court's dumpster.

More Rocky Reviews

When not reviewing films, Rocky Petralia can be found tackling the mysteries of life at HelloRocky.com

Win an Authographed Pet Shop Boys DVD -

Go on tour (from your living room) with the GRAMMY-nominated Pet Shop Boys! The tour's November 14, 2006 stop at Mexico City's Auditorio Nacionale was filmed in high definition for this 2 DVD set, spotlighting Tennant and Lowe's impeccable showmanship, 25 years of their signature hits and an artful pageant of stellar sets - featuring giant cubes - brilliantly clad dancers, theatrically inclined backup singers and more. Enter now to win a copy of the Pet Shop Boys Cubism In Concert DVD, signed by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.All entries must be received by September 5, 2007. One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

::Read the rules

Rocky's Movie Corner - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

After the press screening of I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, I met up with my fellow critics at Musso & Frank. We tried to wrap our heads around the film while wrapping our hands around a steady stream of booze and appetizers. As often happens, we were soon playing the “meets” game, wherein somebody tosses out two movies whose hybridization resulted in the fiasco we just saw.

“Kind of like Tootsie meets Big Momma's House” offered the gentleman from CBS-TV, “only not so hilarious. One of them needed to wear a dress.” I started to explain to him the difference between a homosexual and a transvestite, but he was busy yelling to the waiter for more calamari.

“Given the film's motif and its predictable denouement,” offered the woman from the NY Times, “I think a better comparison would be Cabaret meets Yentl.” It should be noted that, after a few Vodka Gimlets, this woman always uses Yentl as one of her two films, going so far as to describe Ocean's Thirteen as It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World meets Yentl.

I weighed in that this gag-laden movie harbored a pro-gay subtext and suggested The Crying Game meets Spartacus. The young woman from Entertainment Weekly rested her gaze on mine at the same time that she rested her hand on my knee. The thought of Spartacus, combined with a couple of highballs, always has a lubricating effect on her, and the gladiator flick has thus become my Yentl.

She suggested The Scent Of Green Papayas meets Farewell My Concubine. Nobody understood why, and her slurred explanation only deepened our confusion. Yet I was more than willing to let her ramble on about films from the east at the same time that her hand on my leg was traveling north.

Since we were all on deadline, the party broke up before last-call (right after, in fact, the woman from the NY Times announced that her paper wasn't picking up the tab). We failed to reach a consensus on how to describe I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry. It's just as well, since we're each paid to weigh in using our own unique voice. The one thing we did agree on, as we steadied each other waiting for the valet to bring our cars around, was how lucky we were for not having paid to see this movie. If that were the case, we concluded, the descriptor would be: My Hard Earned Money meets A Sad Demise.

More Rocky Reviews

Rhino Recommends - Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (Just Sunshine/Light In The Attic)

:: Buy Now: $16.98
:: Track list & details

Among '70s Funk aficionados, Betty Davis is something of a Fakahatchee Orchid: truly rare, exquisite, and without peer. That so little has been known about her for so long only adds to the mystique of this former wife of Miles Davis, who produced a series of albums so radical and, indescribable that they still have the power to tingle today, some thirty years hence. Sly Stone? Tina Turner? Funkadelic? Chaka Khan? Rick James? Prince? Me'shell Ndegeochello? Macy Gray? There are elements of all these artists in Betty Davis, some of whom might have influenced her, but most of whom followed. And still, Davis surpasses all, creating a sound as adventurous and singular in R&B as The Velvet Underground or Sonic Youth did in rock. Critically praised in her time, but commercially obscure, Davis' albums sold for pennies in the decade or so after their release, and then-seemingly overnight-began trading for 100x as much, or more.

Though various versions of the four albums Davis completedhave been available on CD in recent years, these Light In The Attic releases are significant for being the first reissues taken from the original master tapes, and including full musician credits, extensive liner notes by funkologist Oliver Wang, rare pics, and unreleased bonus cuts. Whew.

As Wang's notes detail, North Carolina native Betty Mabry came to New York City via Pittsburgh at 16 to study design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It was the early '60s, and she was drawn to the vibrant folk scene before becoming the compere of a hip uptown disco The Cellar--which was also the title of her first single, produced through a connection with Cellar dweller Lou Courtney. That led to another single under the aegis of arranger/producer Don Costa (neither, of course, were hits). Fast forward a couple of years and Betty, always the “Quintessence of Hip” (to quote one of her later songs), was making time in the East Village's place-to-be, the Electric Circus, where she hooked up with house band The Chambers Brothers, who recorded her song “Uptown (To Harlem)” on the Time Has Come Today album. It was her first taste of musical success, but-in a pattern that would repeat itself later - Betty decided to shift gears back into the fashion world, becoming the black face of Wilhelmina models (with the goods to back it up).

Almost immediately, Betty returned to music when she met Miles Davis (20 years her elder) at the Village Gate and became enamored even before knowing who he was. Their affair was sidetracked when Betty decamped to Los Angeles in '68, meeting Hugh Masekela, who produced another single for Mabry. When she returned to New York, Betty and Miles reunited, he proposed marriage, and they began production on an album for Columbia with such impressive players as Wayne Shorter, Billy Cox and Tony Williams, but the recordings would never be released. Nevertheless, Miles obviously respected Betty creatively: beyond putting her on the cover of Filles de Kilimanjaro and writing “Mademoiselle Mabry” for her, his groundbreaking Bitches Brew is considered to be an homage to Betty and her circle of friends, who introduced Miles to Jimi Hendrix, and to the funk of James Brown and Sly Stone.

Probably owing to Miles' violent tendencies, their marriage dissolved within a year, and Betty returned to songwriting (supposedly writing the demos that got the Commodores signed to Motown) before returning to modeling in '71, moving to London, and meeting Marc Bolan. She had another romantic relationship, with Santana percussionist Michael Carabello, who brought her to San Francisco and introduced her to the indie label Just Sunshine, which was willing to let Betty Davis do what she wanted to do musically without interference or manipulation.

To her credit, Davis' album covers and song titles promised everything the contents delivered, with Davis in sky-high afro, sassy hot pants and thigh-high silver boots on her debut, and some sort of post-Egyptian space leotard on her second. Couple that with song titles like “If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up,” “Game Is My Middle Name,” “He Was A Big Freak,” and “Don't Call Her No Tramp,” and you have a pretty edgy statement, even in the age of Ziggy-era Bowie, KISS, and Parliament. Davis' music was not for the lighthearted, then or now. Her vocals are beyond-Tina Turner gutteral, sometimes screeching, sometimes bluesy, and the cast of top-notch players she assembled behind her (including Larry Graham, Anita Pointer, Patryce Banks, Sylvester, Neal Schon, Merl Saunders, and Pete Sears on the first, Greg Errico-produced, album) fire up a fierce funk-rock stew that still stings.

Despite the care in these repackagings, it's unfortunate that none of her '60s recordings were included, assuming if they survive. 1973's Betty Davis includes three great unreleased cuts, circa '74, presumably so that four generally superfluous '73 versions of 1974's They say I'm Different tracks could be included with that disc. If only for curiousity's sake, it would be great if Light In The Attic could compile her early work with the best of her latter three albums for a sequel.

Betty left the music biz as the '80s arrived, virtually vanishing into obscurity before culture was able to catch up with her. In a way, that's a small tragedy. But her best work, preserved in amber, is so strong that no further attempts could embellish them.

Luck Be A Lady - Rhino's Guide to Vegas

While the recent release of Frank Sinatra: Vegas, the CD/DVD box set , brought home what an important figure Ol' Blue Eyes was in the evolution of Sin City, it also reminded us that, despite the ongoing reputation of Las Vegas as a center of gambling, sleaze, and all things decadent, it's also an entertainment capital. And Rhino's artists, past and present, have more connections to the stardust city than you would believe. So we thought it was high time to bring you our exclusive Rhino Guide To Las Vegas. Print it out and use for your own tour!

NORTH STRIP

Since Vegas was truly Sinatra's world (we just live in it!), let's begin at the site of the Sands Hotel, corner of Sands Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South (a.k.a. The Strip). This was the legendary headquarters of the Rat Pack, who filmed the original Ocean's 11 here, and made their most famous performances in the Copa Room (that's Sammy Davis Jr. in the parking lot on the cover of his Yes I Can and box set). Sadly, the original Sands was closed and imploded in 1996 , but it was replaced by The Venetian, an expansive and elegant tribute to Sinatra's Italian heritage. We particularly enjoy the restaurants along the Grand Canal Shoppes, including Genoa's Zefferino (look for the pic of Sinatra with the owners), Valentino, Canaletto and Wolfgang Puck's Postrio-all great (you can find Krispy Kreme and The Coffee Bean, too). You also won't want to miss TAO, the exotic Asian restaurant-lounge-nightclub complex which attracts celebrities like bees to honey (it's one of singer-socialite Paris Hilton's favorite hangouts). The casino also has about the classiest Poker Room we've ever seen, and the new expansion under construction will soon make it the single largest hotel in the world.

Directly across the Strip from the Venetian are the Mirage and T.I. sister resorts, where (after seeing the famous exploding volcano and sexy pirate show) you can check out Cirque Du Soleil's acclaimed Beatles tribute LOVE and ultralounge Revolution, the hot JET nightclub,, T.I.'s burlesque lounge Tangerine (where legendary DJ Grandmaster Flash frequently spins) late night Social House restaurant (another celeb magnet), even an outpost of New York's Carnegie Deli.

While you're free to visit our suggestions in any order you like, from here, we suggest traveling north on the Strip, past the site of the former Desert Inn --where Sinatra made his very first Vegas appearances in 1951-- and (at the northern corner of Sands Ave. and the Strip) the former Pussycat A Go Go club/casino, where in 1967, Sly and the Family Stone played a seminal residency during the recording of their first album (The Doors' Jim Morrison was arrested the following year here for “public drunkenness.” Can you imagine?). Today, the block is the lavish Wynn resort , home of the elegantly electric Tryst nightclub and acclaimed restaurant Bartolotta.

To the left (west) is the vintage New Frontier, where Elvis made his first appearances in Vegas, and a young Liza Minelli played around the pool while her mother Judy Garland performed. Further along, check out Circus Circus, one of the Strip's first “theme” casinos, where you can still experience the “horse-around” carousel bar and free circus acts which Hunter S. Thompson's “Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas” made famous. Go East on Riviera Blvd. to Paradise Road, and the Las Vegas Hilton, home of Barry Manilow's already legendary Music & Passion show. Trekkies might want to check out the Star Trek experience here—in fact, they can even get married on the bridge of the Enterprise if they want! Of course, the Hilton was once the International, which was Elvis' home through much of the '70s in a suite on the 31st floor. South on Convention Center Drive, across from the convention center is Piero's Italian Cuisine, a Las Vegas landmark which has fed the famous from Wayne Newton and Jerry Lewis to Keith Richards and Dana Carvey.

For a taste of vintage Vegas, you may want to take in The Rat Pack Is Back, a fun recreation of Sinatra & Co. in their glory, at the Greek Isles casino a few doors down on Convention Center Dr. (occasionally, the Tribute to Dean Martin show featuring his son Ricci also comes to town)...

Go north on Paradise Road and west on Sahara back to the Strip, stopping at the Sahara hotel, one of the few semi-intact vestiges of the classic-era Vegas Strip. The Sahara was where Louis Prima and Keely Smith made their legendary lounge appearances, and where Don Rickles recorded his still-hilarious Hello Dummy album (the Beatles also stayed here when they made their only Las Vegas appearance, at the Convention Center in August, '64). You can still see The Checkmates perform regularly in the Casbar lounge. Cater-corner is Bonanza, the world's largest gift shop, an entire mall's worth of schlocky souvenirs and fun.

If you're hungry, continue west a couple blocks on Sahara to the Golden Steer, a nearly-50 year old steak and seafood spot which can boast a who's who of patrons, including of course all the Rat Packers (they preferred “The Clan,” fyi) and Elvis. Though it might look a little past its prime from the outside, the expansive-but-intimate restaurant inside maintains its reputation.

DOWNTOWN

From here, take either the I-15 or Las Vegas Blvd. (the Strip) north to the downtown casino district (Fremont Street). On the way, stop at The Attic, (1018 S. Main St. at Charleston), known as the “largest vintage clothing store in the world.” And Ray's Beaver Bag (2619 Ashby, a block from the corner of Charleston and Rancho) --a replica old west trading post that sells all the real stuff you'd find there 100 years ago, from animal pelts to black musket powder. Oh, and if you're in the mood, visit the famous Little White Chapel, also on Las Vegas Blvd, where celebs from Joan Collins to Britney Spears have taken the plunge. If you're so inclined, this is the place to get hitched in your car (at the drive-thru window!), a helicopter or even hot air balloon. Around here, the place to eat (especially if you're craving something you can't find in the casinos) is Venni Mac's M&M Soul Food, an award-winning outpost of the LA chain serving real down home southern cooking. It's at 3923 W. Charleston (west from LV Blvd.)

Now find your way north (follow the bright lights!) to the Golden Nugget at Fremont and Casino Center drive, where Sinatra appeared in 1987 (disc 4). Though many of the hotel's “gilded age” adornments remain, it's also undergoing some significant redesigns, including an impressive new pool area with sharks (that's right). The 'Nugget sits amid all the downtown casinos on the “Fremont Street Experience,” anchored to the west by the Main Street Station, a Victorian-themed casino which features a unique collection of historical artifacts, ranging from Louisa May Alcott's vintage private rail car (in the Pullman Grille restaurant), to a piece of the Berlin Wall (in the casino men's room-that's right, you can piddle on it).

Traveling back East on Fremont, we recommend stopping at the Golden Gate Casino--the oldest casino in Las Vegas, and still the home of the 99 cent shrimp cocktail. Past the Golden Nugget, the Four Queens casino hosts the classic Hugo's Cellar, an improbably romantic spot where every female diner is given a red rose. The Fremont across the street is where Wayne Newton made his Vegas debut. Another two blocks, across Las Vegas Blvd., is Neonopolis, an outdoor mall and “museum” of restored classic Vegas neon signage, that is a very cool free attraction, and Beauty Bar in the next block (across from the vintage El Cortez casino) is a good non-casino bar. Before leaving downtown, take a short detour on Bonanza Road past the now-shuttered Moulin Rouge, the first non-restricted casino in Vegas, where all the famous African American entertainers of the '50s, including Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, and others, stayed and played when the Strip hotels were less welcoming...

CENTER STRIP AND FLAMINGO ROAD

But let's get back in the action: While Vegas is constantly trying to top itself, the centerpiece is still the sprawling Caesars Palace (Flamingo at the Strip), where Sinatra appeared throughout the '70s and '80s (discs three and five). Caesars truly has a bit of the best of everything--many great bars and restaurants (the latest, an outpost of Rao's neighborhood Italian from Manhattan), the world-class nightclub PURE, Pussycat Dolls Lounge (we prefer the Vegas Dolls to the singing ones, by the way), Elton John boutique, a monumental Sports Book, the opulent Augustus Tower rooms... In case you hadn't heard, joining Sir Elton and replacing the departing Celine Dion will be the not-so-retired Cher, beginning in 2008. And then there's the Forum Shops mall, featuring everything from Planet Hollywood to Spago, FAO Schwarz to Agent Provacateur...

A typical Vegas tour would direct you from here across Flamingo Road to the opulent Bellagio. But this being Rhino, you'll probably be more interested in the Rio and Palms resorts, just west of the Strip on Flamingo. The Rio houses Prince's 3121 club and restaurant, where he performs every Friday and Saturday (and his personal chef performs nightly!). The Palms may be the hippest playground of the hot and rockin,' with the new rooftop Playboy club, Ghostbar, celeb-magnet N9ne steakhouse, Hart & Huntington tattoo parlor and AMP salon, incredible fantasy suites, a state of the art recording studio, sexy party pool, and a serious concert venue coming soon. There's also a great mutiplex cinema.

PARADISE ROAD

Travel back East on Flamingo Road, past the Strip to Paradise Road and turn north to a few notable destinations for rock fans: the Double Down Saloon (4640 Paradise), which claims to not even have a lock on the door, is Vegas' mecca for alternative music and lifestyles. Their signature drink, “Ass Juice” lets you know how far from a family environment you've strayed. Further North on Paradise is the one and only Hard Rock Hotel, home of the Beachers' Madhouse show, the Joint rock club, and Body English basement boogie-down. Plus Kurt Cobain's torn jeans behind glass. Across the street is an outpost of LA's infamous Rainbow Bar & Grill. This one's totally different from the Sunset Strip original, but the spirit has been faithfully duplicated...

SOUTH STRIP

We tend to take them for granted because they're so well known, but the resorts on the South end of the Strip do have much to offer, including MGM Grand's revitalized Studio 54, hot Tabu club, and Grand Garden Arena (attracting the likes of the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith); the kitschy Camelot of Excalibur, and the many pleasures of tropical Mandalay Bay (from the faux-beach wave pool and magnificent Shark Reef aquarium to the House of Blues, 40 Deuce and other clubs.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS: FARTHER AFIELD

If you consider yourself a Vegas veteran, or even live there, you may find ways to explore beyond the Strip/Downtown regions. If so, we'd recommend a trip to the Las Vegas Drive-In theatre (4150 W. Carey Av. At Rancho Bl), weather permitting; the Liberace Museum (1775 E. Tropicana) in his former home; or a barbecue banquet (you know how we do), either Texas Hill Country style at the Red Rock Casino's Salt Lick or Memphis style at Memphis Championship BBQ (three locations). Tell 'em Rhino sent 'ya.

The Humane Society of the United States - Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty

Richard Reister, a U.S. Army veteran, spent twenty years of his life dedicated to protecting and serving his country. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that impaired his ability to walk. The injury was not all bad however, as it brought David, a mixed breed dog, into Richard's life. David faithfully helped Richard get around until he too began to suffer from an injury. It turned out that the injury was a hip deformity, one that would require an $8,000 surgical procedure. However, Richard was not able to afford this substantial sum to help cure his best friend, resorting to mowing lawns for $10, despite his handicap. This story of true love and inspiration struck an emotional tone with The Humane Society of the United States. Despite being a not-for-profit organization, the HSUS donated $1,000 toward David's surgery. Inspirational stories such as Richard's are always heartwarming and special. The HSUS aims to support animal-lovers such as Richard Reister and encourage others to love and treat animals with care and respect.

Since 1954, The HSUS has been confronting cruelty to animals in the United States and globally. Today, the organization is widely recognized as one of the most important mainstream forces for animals. It is a force that gets results, including more than 70 state and federal laws passed to protect animals in 2006 alone.

In addition to animal cruelty, major campaigns of The HSUS include animal fighting, factory farming, the fur trade, and inhumane sport hunting practices. But the range of HSUS activities and programs spans virtually every issue affecting animals, from providing free medical care to pets in remote areas through our Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) program, to rescuing pets from disasters; closing horse slaughter plants; stopping the clubbing of baby seals; ending the scourge of puppy mills; celebrating the bond between people and companion animals; educating elementary and high school children about caring for and caring about animals; raising the level of professionalism at animal shelters nationwide; promoting biomedical research methods that can reduce, replace or refine animals use; stopping canned hunts in which captive, and often tame exotic animals (including rhinos) are killed in confined areas and much more.

We work through legislation, litigation, investigations, education, advocacy and field work to achieve real, positive change for animals. Here are just a few examples from the past year:

Pets and service animals will no longer be separated from their families in disasters for lack of official planning, as tens of thousands were last year in Hurricane Katrina. With The HSUS leading the charge, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which requires state and local agencies to include the animals in disaster plans.

Nearly 300 dogs and several cats face a future free of wire cages and unsanitary living conditions after The HSUS' Disaster Animal Response Team rescued them from a Tennessee breeding facility where they were being hoarded.

Calves and breeding pigs in Arizona will be spared cruel confinement on industrial farms thanks to a landslide ballot victory last November that The HSUS campaigned for side-by-side with grassroots advocates.

Twenty states have placed full or partial bans on canned hunts - commercial operations which provide the opportunity to kill a confined animal for a fee.

Hundreds of thousands of laying hens will be freed from tiny battery cages because dozens of retailers, university dining halls, and corporate cafeterias-including AOL, Google, and Ben & Jerry's-agreed to begin implementing cage-free egg policies.

Fewer rare and exotic animals will likely be targeted-and U.S. taxpayers will save as much as $49 million dollars over the next 10 years-after The HSUS persuaded Congress to close a tax loophole that allowed wealthy trophy hunters to write off the costs of their hunting trips as a charitable donation.

Canada's seals moved closer to safety when the European Union called for a ban on harp and hooded seal products after Paul McCartney joined The HSUS' ProtectSeals team to oppose the annual Canadian seal hunt.

Fur-bearing animals won't end up in the collections of Kenneth Cole because, after negotiations with The HSUS, this compassionate designer pledged to go fur-free. Also fur-free was Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll's Fashion Week show in New York, sponsored by The HSUS.

Birds in several Louisiana parishes will be spared the cruelty of cockfighting thanks to a Louisiana Supreme Court decision upholding a Caddo Parish ordinance, resulting in the shuttering of two of the country's largest cockfighting pits.

Dogs will no longer be exploited in dogfighting videos sold by Best Buy, Netflix, Circuit City, eBay and Amazon.com, which agreed to pull the product from their shelves. Other dogs will be spared the brutality of hog-dog fighting after an HSUS investigation led to the arrest of organizers of a national hog-dog fighting association.

The HSUS gets results. And we do it with the help of nearly 10 million supporters. As a not-for-profit charity, donations are critical if we are to continue our fight for animals. But we also depend on individuals to join with us when we need to rally support, or opposition for legislation, or take some other action on behalf of animals. Want to help? Here are some things you can do.

Support The Humane Society of the United States.

Join the nearly one million people who have become part of our on-line community to keep on top of breaking news and needs for grassroots action.

Train to be a disaster volunteer.

Assist at our Cape Wildlife rehabilitation center.

And to find out more about the work of The Humane Society of the United States, visit humanesociety.org.

Foghat: Still Live And Kicking - An Interview with drummer Roger Earl

Thirty years ago, Foghat unleashed Live, the album that cemented their title as The Boogie Monsters. The four British lads who started the band - guitarist/vocalist “Lonesome” Dave Peverett, rhythm guitarist Rod Price, bassist Tony Stevens, and drummer Roger Earl - were relentless road warriors and their legendary live set captured them at the peak of their game. This summer will see the release of Live II. Not a sequel, just another new chapter in the life of a band that refuses to die or grow up. Roger Earl, the only musician who's been with the Foghat throughout all their permutations and personnel shifts, looks fondly back, and forward, on the band that's been his life's work.

“I grew up in London, but all my influences came from American music,” Earl begins. You don't really have to interview the man; just toss out an occasional question and sit back and let the stories flow. “I remember when I was 11 or 12, I wanted to stow away on an airplane and come over. I finally arrived in late '67, on tour with Savoy Brown - five skinny English kids coming to America to play the blues. Did we have big balls, or what? Our first gig was in Boston. We opened, J. Geils followed, and Buddy Guy headlined and tore the house done. We realized we had a lot to learn.

“(Savoy Brown) paid me, Dave, and Tony 60 dollars a week and we never got a cent for any of the records, except Looking In, the one we did just before we quit. I got a thousand pounds; you could almost buy a house with that back then. We got paid when we weren't working too, but we were always working. Savoy was a highlight of my life. I grew up in that band, if anyone ever grew up in the '60s. I still speak to (Savoy bandleader) Kim (Simmonds) a couple of times a year. He has a new album out and he's playing better than he ever did.

“One night Harry Simmonds (the band's manager and Kim's brother) fired Tony. He said Dave and I could stay if we would do whatever. We went back to Dave's room and he wrote 'Fools Hall of Fame' (one of the first Foghat songs.) We told Harry we'd see the tour out, but after that we were quitting and starting a new band. He said he'd stop us from ever working in Europe and he did.

“We found Rod (Price, the band's first rhythm guitarist) and went into Abbey Road with Dave Edmunds producing. Another successful band had recorded there; we hoped some of the magic might rub off. Our manger took the demos to every major and minor company in the world and everyone turned us down. We heard Albert Grossman was in Europe with The Band so we rented a club in Islington and set up our stuff to play some songs for him. At the end he said 'Anywhere we can get tea and biscuits?' We went across the road and after he had his tea he said, 'Well, OK let's do this thing.' I still get a chill when I think of it. We couldn't get arrested in England. Our kids were hungry and we were thinking we might have to get real jobs.” With Grossman as their manager, the newly christened Foghat moved to the United States. “Foghat was a word Dave made up with his brother while they were playing a word game as kids. You put on your foghat when you want to rock out, right?”

The band became an FM radio staple and began the endless tour they're still on. Their fifth album, 1975's Fool For The City, was a blockbuster, and one of the best hard rock albums of the '70s. “We'd just fired Tony and auditioned Craig (MacGregor, still the bass man in Foghat). We did Fool For The City with our producer Nick Jameson on bass, but hired Craig for the tour that produced Live. We recorded 15 dates, but the record was taken from two shows in Syracuse and Rochester. The album's success was a total surprise. Afterwards, I bought a house and two or three cars. There were only six songs on it, cause we liked to jam, and we still do. You really get your money's worth on the new double album. Thirteen tracks and some new studio stuff as well.”

Foghat went through many permutations between Live and Live II. The band shifted personnel, broke up and reformed. Dave Peverett quit. Roger Earl, Erik Cartwright and Craig MacGregor became The Kneetremblers, then Foghat again. Peverett came back and put together Dave Peverett's Foghat and competed with Earl's Foghat for gigs. The original members finally regrouped in '93 and played until Peverett died of cancer in 2000.

“Dave had his fingerprints all over Foghat,” Earl says explaining his decision to soldier on. “I miss him, but Foghat isn't about one individual. It's always been about the music and it's always been a band. I don't think I could earn a living doing anything else. I talked to Dave six days before he died and he told us to carry on and told (new lead guitarist) Bryan the same thing, so we have Dave's blessing. Initially it was difficult but (new singer) Charlie (Huhn) puts his own stamp on the songs. It's our job to carry on and the transition was pretty natural.

“We reformed the original band in '93 and stayed on the road until Dave got cancer in '97. He had a kidney removed, did radiation and chemo, then called me up in '99 and said he wanted to go back on the road. He said he was strong enough to walk to the gym - he didn't go in, but he could walk there - and he could keep an apple down, so we booked some dates. Six weeks before the first gig, Rod quit. Dave said Bryan would fill in and passed the torch to him. He's super talented and produced and engineered Live II. We're building a studio down in Florida so we can record and start writing. There's still a lot of talent in this band and I haven't even talked about Charlie. He was with Ted Nugent for a few years. He was the singer in Humble Pie twelve years after Steve Marriot. Dave said: 'Let's go see what Charlie has under his fingernails.' When he started singing we said 'Woah!' Anyone who can sing Steve Marriot's tunes has to have a great set of tonsils. After Dave died, I called my manager and told him to find the guy who used to sing with Humble Pie. I sent Charlie about 20 or 30 songs to learn. He called me back a month later and said: 'Got it.'”

Live II was recorded in 2005, but starting a new label, lining up distribution, and mixing the tracks ate up the better part of two years. “It was all recorded live, one date. We filmed it, as well, for a DVD. We had complete control, which is pretty scary - it was recorded by us, mixed by us, set list by us, our own label, so we had to get it right. We were pleased with it right after the show, maybe because we were all drinking tequila, but when you have four musicians trying to mix the songs long distance it takes time. Bryan would send a CD of mixes to me or Charlie and Craig, and we'd say: 'Sounds OK, but let's tweak this.' But it was all there; there are no overdubs. Eventually our manager said: 'You've been working on this for nine months -- what are you trying to do? It's time to let it go and put it out.' I've been playing these songs a long time and I must say, we're sounding better than ever. They say every dog has its day and that we even had a day was amazing, since we were real dogs. But we love to play and we've been on the road 13 months a year since 1971. We just went on and on and if we weren't on the road, we were in the studio. I'm 61 this year and not as spry as I used to be, but two divorces later, I'm still at it. The exes have forgiven me and I have wonderful grandchildren now, so life is good.”

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