We had been stranded in Las Vegas over 9-11.  If you’re thinking that might have been the best place to be at a time of disaster and uncertainty, you’d be right to some extent.  There were lots of ways to distract ourselves.  But Las Vegas feels different when you want to leave it but can’t.  And the Las Vegas of 9-11 was not the same as what we were used to.

By the afternoon of 9-11, when it was apparent what had really happened, casinos along the Strip began shutting down their electronic billboards or replacing the images with that of an American flag.  We walked out onto Las Vegas Boulevard that afternoon, and there was Old Glory on one billboard after another, as far as the eye could see, in both directions.   That was a neat sight.

We learned that all major shows and entertainment were canceled indefinitely.  Some casinos took the unprecedented step of halting any gambling for awhile that day.  At the Mirage, where we were staying, the mood on the gaming floor was completely subdued.   Piped-in music, as ubiquitous in Las Vegas casinos as secondhand smoke, had been turned off entirely.  There was very little action at the table games, and the usual din of the slot machines was gone.  Dealers, pit bosses and cocktail waitresses were mostly standing around in shock.  Everyone in the casino, from the employees to the gamblers, was caught in the same haze of uncertainty.  I noticed people were sitting down at the tables not as much to gamble but to be able chat with the dealers and other players.  There was great comfort in knowing you weren’t alone in the anxiety you were feeling.

Since all commercial flights were grounded, there was a mad rush for transportation out of Las Vegas.  All rental cars in Las Vegas were gone within a couple days.  Greyhound and Amtrak announced on the local news that they had no tickets left, and they couldn’t even offer a guess as to when they would have any more.  Lori and I weren’t scheduled to fly home until Thursday, the 13^th.  Surely, we thought, planes would be in the air again by then.  We were wrong.

It wasn’t until the following Tuesday, the 18^th, that United resumed their normal flight schedule and we were able to leave.  Thankfully the Mirage, like most other hotels in town, came up with a special room rate (most of them called it their “God Bless America” rate) that allowed us—and thousands of other stranded tourists—to add extra days to our stay without having to pay the regular rate.   

My first day back at the station was Wednesday, the 19^th.  Between the elation and the relief of finally being back, that day flew by.  I hardly remember it.  The one thing I do remember is sitting in my boss’ office that day when he announced that Richard Elliot was going through with his concert at the Chicago Theatre that Friday night, the 21^st.  And, when he came out on stage that night, Richard said what was going through the minds of all of us:  “I think this is what we all need.”  I would have to say that our collective healing process began at that moment.

I went over to the new Rivers Casino in Des Plaines for the first time this weekend, and I was impressed.  My three prerequisites were all there, in abundance, along with some pleasant surprises.

By the way, if you’ve never been to a casino right after it opens, take this opportunity.  The place will never look cleaner or brighter, and there’s something about the smell of a brand new casino.   Also, the slot machines and gaming tables are right off the assembly line.  The chips have the sharp edges that only factory fresh chips have.  And the staff is well-scrubbed and eager to please. 

When you get to Rivers, use the self-park because it comes with a helpful feature that I wish all parking garages were equipped with.  Above each parking space is a light which glows orange if there’s a car in the space, green if the space is open.  You don’t have to drive down every aisle, looking for an open space.  When you’re at the end of an aisle, look at the overhead lights.  If they’re all orange, go the next aisle.  Spot a green light and you’ll know there’s an empty spot.

Since Rivers is a brand new casino, everyone who visits has to sign up as a new players’ club member.  I can envision quite the logjam during peak times, but they were ready for the crowd at the time I went.  They had over a dozen extra computer terminals set up, and the process went smoothly and fairly quickly.

The gaming area is spacious and easy to navigate.  I’ve actually gotten lost a couple times at other casinos in the area.  You won’t have to worry about that here.  In terms of layout and décor, Rivers reminded me of the newest of the smaller casinos in Las Vegas, the M Casino (at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard), in particular. 

Of course, some good luck always enhances the experience.  I was in the black when I left, thanks mainly to an initially weak blackjack hand, a pair of 3s, which turned into a win of five units, thanks to winning the two splits and the two double-downs which followed on that hand.

I’ve been to every casino in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, and I’d have to put Rivers in the area’s top three.  It’s worth checking out.

Fast forward to 2010, and we find that gaping hole in the Smooth Jazz category of Christmas music has been filled—and then some.  There are just too many holiday collections to pick from, and it’s impossible to know which recordings are worth your time and money.  That’s where my annual list of recommended holiday recordings comes in.

With the 2010 edition of the list in your hands (or up on your computer screen), you’ll see the best of the best.  These are the CDs that have proven to be evergreens.  They’re favorites at my house as well as on the air every holiday season, and listeners tell me over and over how much they’ve enjoyed them, too.

The list is free for the asking.  Just drop me a note via email to Rick@WLFM877.com, and let me know if you’d like your copy as a Word document or PDF.  If you prefer the list be sent to you by conventional mail, include your name and address and drop a line to Rick O’Dell, WLFM-LP, 540 Frontage Road, Suite 2000, Northfield, IL 60093-1297.

The photos are definitely the book’s strong suit.  As a Blackhawks fan since the late ‘60s, I thought I’d seen every photograph of Bobby Hull.  Boy, was I wrong.  The book contains hundreds of photographs completely new to me and, I’d imagine, most fans.  At the same time, Bobby reveals a number of things that somehow had eluded me over the years—such as the fact that, during the 1961-1962 and 1962-1963 seasons, he wore the number 7. I knew about his first uniform number, 16, but not 7.  I also couldn’t help noticing that Bobby chooses to never refer to his ex-wife (Joanne, in case you didn’t know) by name.  Even in the photos in which she appears he refers to her only as “the mother” of his children.

Whenever I find a book like this, I can’t resist pointing out errors, since publishers supposedly employ fact checkers.  I’ve found sports books that are heavy on photos generally come with a fair number of misidentified players.  For all the photos that appear in this book, however, I could find only one mistake—on page 45.  The goaltender is not (the right-handed) Johnny Bower but (the left-handed) Don Simmons Bobby recalls scoring against in Game 6 of the Cup Finals against the Maple Leafs in 1962.

Bobby Hull and Bob Verdi have teamed up on a wonderfully nostalgic profile of one of the most beloved players in Blackhawks history.  This is the essential coffee table book for fans of the Hawks.

It’s too bad so many writers and commentators chose to use the word “lose” in recapping the race (ESPN.com – “Zenyatta loses by a head….”), because only technically was Zenyatta a loser.  When you can overcome an early 15-length deficit, overtake 11 other horses and fall short in the end only by the length of a football, you’re not a loser in my book.   At the same time, when you compete with strength, class, character and dignity yet still come up second, you’re absolutely not a loser.

I realize that the essence of competition is to produce a single, clear-cut winner, but I’ve never been able to accept the notion that the results of competition are always going to be one winner and a remaining field of “losers.”   Zenyatta’s magnificent effort yesterday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic is exactly what I mean.

Beth Harris, who covered the race for AP, came up with the best post-race analysis I’ve seen, using a form of the word “lose” only once.  “[Jockey Mike] Smith blamed himself for the loss,” she wrote.  Even then, I probably would have found another word to ue, because finishing second in a field of 12 will never be my idea of  “losing.”

In my opening remarks before a capacity crowd at the DuSable Museum Friday night I referred to the last time an awards show in Smooth Jazz took place in Chicago (March 3, 2001) as “something those of us who were there have never stopped talking about.”  I went onto say that I felt Friday night held the same promise, that we were in for something special.  Turns out, we were.

The 2010 American Smooth Jazz Awards will go down as a night of exceptional all-around entertainment.  The music was scintillating, the performers and presenters cordial and upbeat, the crowd enthusiastic and the mood electric throughout the evening.

Event organizer, the indefatigable Bernie Scott, mentioned to me that they had had to turn away over a hundred people who showed up at DuSable hoping to buy tickets at the door Friday night.  With every seat spoken for, when the program began at 8:00 pm and Nick Colionne hit the stage to begin his opening number, it was standing room only.  There’s nothing like a packed house and this crowd, I could tell, was ready to rock—smoothly, of course.  For the next 3 ½ hours there were countless laughs and plenty of magical moments.  Off the top of my head, let me share with you a few of them:

The Canadian group Four80East, led by Tony Grace, were the first of the nominees to perform.  They chose to play their 2009 hit, “Roll On,” which turned out to be the ideal tone-setter for the evening, with its sprightly, positive beat.  Jeff Kashiwa deftly handled the melody on flute.

Trumpeter Cindy Bradley led a riveting impromptu jam session by rising stars, the “Up and Comers,” as they called themselves.  Joining Cindy in the band were saxophonist Kyle Wolverton, Valparaiso native Bryan Lubeck, Chicago’s Gerey Johnson and Michael Manson, keyboardist Nate Harasim and (very impressive) drummer Hannah Ford.  They, along with “Best International Male Artist” nominee Anders Holst, gave me a hopeful feeling about the future of Smooth Jazz.

Also, Cindy related to me after the show that her mother had been diagnosed with kidney cancer a year ago.  This past August, when she got the word that she was cancer free, she declared to the family, “Now I can book tickets for the Awards!”  She and her husband flew in from Buffalo and ended up seeing their daughter win the “Best New Artist” award.  Cindy acknowledged her parents in a touching and heartfelt acceptance speech.

Mike Scott, of TheMikeScottJazzShow.com out of Toledo, Ohio, couldn’t contain his astonishment upon learning he was named “Broadcaster of the Year – Internet.”  In an acceptance speech filled with moments of hilarity, he went on and on for over ten minutes.

The evening’s most touching moments came during Regina Tisdale’s introduction of the Humanitarian Award named in her husband Wayman’s honor.  Overcoming a case of stage fright and explaining that “Wayman would have wanted me up here to do this,” she reminded us of Wayman’s total devotion to Smooth Jazz and the fans he made as a musician.   He’d rather be remembered as a musician than a basketball player, she revealed.

Steve Cole, Kim Waters and Jeff Kashiwa—as The Sax Pack–kept the mood light, clowning around on stage while, at the same time, treating us to some heavy-duty playing.  They got one of the biggest hands of the night with their recent hit, “Can’t Help Myself.”

Dave Koz couldn’t make the Awards.  He was on the first leg of his Asian tour, performing in China this weekend.  Longtime Koz band director Brian Simpson accepted both of Dave’s awards for him.  I had the pleasure of meeting Brian’s two daughters who were there, rooting on their dad, a nominee in the keyboardist category.

It took stagehands five minutes to roll a grand piano out on stage.  Then, David Benoit sat down and, in three numbers, proved once again why he’s the finest Smooth Jazz pianist ever–treating us to his signature pieces “Freedom at Midnight,” “Kei’s Song” and “Beat Street.” Once the applause finally died down, he graciously accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bernie Scott, who announced the award would be renamed the “David Benoit Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Smooth Jazz’s old guard acquitted itself well, with Boney James’ and Richard Elliot’s sharing the “Brass/Woodwinds Artist of the Year” award, Peter White’s taking home three awards (the most by any artist), and David Benoit’s Lifetime Achievement award.   For his live number, Richard Elliot chose to perform his first Smooth Jazz hit, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” with all the flourish and the wonderful fat notes that made his rendition a standard during the early years of the genre.

The night’s finale was appropriately grand, with Nick Colionne and his supergroup led by David Benoit, Michael Manson, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Marc Antoine, Jackiem Joyner and Joey Sommerville playing a spirited extended rendition of “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” in memory of Wayman Tisdale.  Each musician in the 11-piece band got to do a solo.  It was also a rare opportunity to see Marc Antoine play something other than his customary acoustic guitar.  There weren’t enough acoustic guitars to go around, so Marc had to borrow Gerey Johnson’s electric axe, forcing Gerey to sit out during the final number.

Chicago’s Khari Parker, Dave Hiltebrand and Gerey Johnson were the core of a house band that showed its mettle all night, deftly backing up each of the acts as comfortably as though they’d been together for years.

Before the show started, the packed-to-the-gills lobby was the site of a massive meet-and-greet, with fans exchanging handshakes and hugs with musicians and presenters.  I renewed acquaintances with a number of former WNUA listeners going back nearly two decades.  We could have spent all night catching up!  As I was meeting saxophonist Darren Rahn for the first time, a gentleman came up and asked Darren if he knew where keyboardist Nate Harasim might be.  Darren disappeared into one of the upstairs projection areas at DuSable that had been turned into a makeshift green room and returned a minute later with Nate.  The gentleman reached into his bag and produced a custom made lampshade that he had decorated with amazingly accurate likenesses of his favorite artists.  I noticed that one of them was Bobby Lyle, who had placed his autograph next to his portrait on the lampshade some time back.  The space next to Bobby’s was a likeness of Nate Harasim.  Nate’s reaction was priceless.  He had never seen anything like it; nor had I.  This was a truly unique and remarkable keepsake, which Nate eagerly signed and then snapped a photo of.

Incidentally, if anyone doubts the power and popularity of Facebook, they should have been to the Awards.  Facebook was one of the most popular topics of conversation all evening, on and off stage.  Much to my delight, I got to meet Margie Fischer, part of a group of 87.7 listeners who frequently take part in my daily quiz on vintage Smooth Jazz tracks which I put up on the station’s Facebook page.  Margie was there with her husband, Jim.  She had won front row tickets to the Awards through a contest we ran two weeks ago on Facebook.  Margie had created a colorful poster listing the names of everyone in this Facebook group.  She and I stood next to each other holding the poster, while Jim took a picture of us.  By Sunday morning Margie had posted the photo on her page.

As things were winding down, around 11:45 pm, I overheard someone say, “This was as much fun as a Smooth Jazz cruise.”  I’d have to say that was an apt comparison.

Here are the 2010 Smooth Jazz Awards winners in the order they were announced:

Broadcaster of the Year – Terrestrial (Presenters:  Ken & Robin Levinson and Dorine Wright):  Dave Koz

Journalist of the Year (Presenters:  the Levinsons and Dorine Wright):  Melanie Maxwell (Smooth Jazz News)

Broadcaster of the Year – Internet (Presenter:  Carmen Kennedy):  Mike Scott

Gospel Jazz Artist of the Year (Presenter:  Carmen Kennedy):  Kirk Whalum

International Male Vocalist of the Year (Presenters:  Rob Tardik and Joey Sommerville):  Michael Buble’

International Female Vocalist of the Year (Presenters:  Tardik and Sommerville):  Diana Krall

International Artist of the Year (Presenters:  Tardik and Sommerville):  Marc Antoine

International Group of the Year (Presenters:  Tardik and Sommerville):  Incognito

Female Vocalist of the Year (Presenter:  Pat Kelley):  Norah Jones

Keyboardist of the Year (Presenter:  Pat Kelley):  Brian Culbertson

Guitarist of the Year (Presenter:  Pat Kelley):  Peter White

Percussionist of the Year (Presenter:  Rick O’Dell):  Harvey Mason

Male Vocalist of the Year (Presenter:  Rick O’Dell):  George Benson

New Artist of the Year (Presenters:  Marissa Caliguire, Joy Hall, Kim Giles):  Cindy Bradley

Brass/Woodwind Artist of the Year (Presenters:  Randy Bennett and Mike Scott): Richard Elliot

Group of the Year (Presenters:  Bennett & Scott):  Fourplay

Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award (Presenters:  Bernie Scott, Regina Tisdale):  Nick Colionne, Brian O’Neal

Lifetime Achievement Award (Presenter:  Bernie Scott):  David Benoit (the award will henceforth be known as the Dave Benoit Lifetime Achievement Award)

Song of the Year (Presenters:  Jim Peterik and Lisa McClowry):  “Bright” by Peter White

Album of the Year (Presenter:  Jason Polansky, American Airlines):  Good Day by Peter White.

Entertainer of the Year (Presenters:  Bernie Scott, Pat Kelley):  Dave Koz

This is how having the Bears on WBBM-AM is a serious misallocation of radio resources from a listener’s standpoint.  You see, WBBM-AM is the only all-news station in Chicago.  Whenever they’re airing a Bears game, the station is departing from normal programming for at least six hours.  (Don’t even get me started on why they need a two hour long pre-game show.)  As a listener, you’re left with few alternatives on the dial if you want an immediate shot of what you’d ordinarily be getting from WBBM.  Traffic and weather, for instance.  On WBBM you get traffic and weather every ten minutes but not when the station is airing the Bears.  And there’s nobody else on the dial providing the information as frequently.  If it’s not near the top of the hour, you won’t get it from any of the other AM stations at the moment you need it.

The Bears really should be on one of Chicago’s main radio stations to air sports programming:  WGN, WSCR or WMVP.  That would free up WBBM-AM to stick with what it’s always saying to us that it is:  “Chicago’s All-News Station.”  Frankly, I’m not so sure they ought to be calling themselves an “all-news station” when we all know they aren’t.  Not as long as they’ve got the Bears.

Even as an eleven year old back in 1970 I couldn’t help noticing Nancy’s repertoire was different from anything I’d ever heard during the games I attended at Wrigley Field.  On the north side, all you got were standards and old school and sometimes VERY old school (“Moonlight Serenade,” “String of Pearls,” the kind of stuff my parents would like).  I remember “Rock Around the Clock” (1954!) being one of the more contemporary songs.  Even the organ itself sounded old, of roller rink vintage, and organist Jack Kearney’s song choices didn’t help.

It was a totally different story at Comiskey Park.  I didn’t know her name at the time, but Nancy Faust blew me away that night.  I noticed right away that she played currently popular songs (songs I liked!)—five second snippets when players were going up the plate, full-length versions in between innings.  She showed uncommon creativity, deftly connecting players’ names with the titles of songs she played when they went up to bat.  You could tell right away she was in complete command of:  a) the nuances of the game; b) the names and nicknames of all the players, home team and visitors; and c) pop music.  With Nancy, it wasn’t just “Three Blind Mice” when the umpires came out onto the field—imagine that!

For the past 41 years, whenever I walked into Comiskey Park or The Cell, I listened for the sound of the organ.  Just a couple notes were all it took for me to know Nancy was on the job, doing what she did better than anyone else on earth.  We need to find a way to get her into the Hall of Fame.  Organist’s wing, anyone?

I couldn’t even tell you what the final score was or even who the Sox played the first time I saw them at the old Comiskey Park.  But the impression the organist made on me that night will stay with me forever.  And, since that night, I’ve considered Nancy Faust a key part of my enjoyment of watching the Sox at home.  Thanks for the memories, Nancy!  Enjoy your retirement.  You’ve earned it.

At Ruby Tuesday, look up any of their lunch combos and they all come with endless fries (their emphasis).  Ask to swap them out for another vegetable, and they’ll give you the choice of green beans or broccoli, generally.  Not bad.  Unlike the fries, however, these healthier alternatives come with a catch:  they aren’t endless.  You’re allowed one serving, and that’s it.  In other words, Ruby Tuesday is more than happy to fill you up with a feedbag’s worth of fatty fries if you want it, but ask for a second helping of green beans, and the answer is a firm no.

It’s hard enough to turn down fries (and Ruby’s has some darn good fries, I must say) when they tempt you from every corner of the menu.  Now, add in the fact that their fries are an all-you-can-eat proposition (while the healthier alternative is limited to one helping), and it’s obvious what Ruby Tuesday would rather have you order.

Hawaii Five-O, the original version, is one of my all-time favorite shows.  Its strength was in its perfect combination of dramatic elements:  strong, inventive storylines (at least during the first eight or nine seasons), a solid cast, an exotic backdrop and a magnificent theme song.  How big a fan was I?  From the second season (1969) until the time I went off to college (1976) I never missed an episode.  The titles of my favorite episodes are also etched in my brain:

“Hookman”  (Real-life detective and amputee Jay J. Armes plays Curt Stoner, an armless sniper who targets cops with deadly accuracy.)

“Singapore File” (McGarrett and Nicole Wylie evade assassins on a treacherous journey from Singapore to Hawaii.)

“Highest Castle, Deepest Grave” (Five-O investigates a murder cover-up involving an industrialist played by Herbert Lom, his late wife and his daughter.)

“Death is a Company Policy”  (Organized crime plants a mole, played by West Side Story’s George Chakiris, in the DA’s office, leading to a frame of Office Duke Lukela.)

“A Matter of Mutual Concern” (Often cited as one of Five-O’s most violent episodes, with a dismemberment shown in graphic detail, it also features a host of racial slurs toward various Asian ethnicities.)

“The Jinn Who Clears the Way” (A classic episode featuring arch villain Wo Fat with a memorable kicker in the finale.)

I don’t fault CBS for resurrecting the show.  As strong a brand as Hawaii Five-O still is thirty years (!) after its final original episode aired, frankly I’m surprised it took them this long.  But, even sight unseen, I can tell you right now it will be a very different Hawaii Five-O.  I might even end up being a fan, but it’ll always remain inferior to the original.  This isn’t a major criticism, considering the high standard set by Jack Lord and company with the original series back in the ‘70s.

Here’s a link to a fantastic site devoted to the original series.  It’s one of the best sites I’ve ever come across on a vintage television series.

(By the way, actor Harold Gould, who played the memorable villain Honore’ Vashon on the original series—along with countless other roles in a remarkable career spanning five decades—died at the age of 86 this past September 11.)