John Wedemeyer, Ronnie Foster, Tim Scott, and Jimmy Keegan at Salute in the Palazzo

We went to check out our dear friend Ronnie Foster at the Palazzo last night. Update: actually, as noted by a commentor, it's actually guitarist John Wedemeyer's band. My Bad. I wish I'd have known that prior to first posting this stuff. Groan...

Beautiful lounge in The Palazzo ("Salute"), nice stage lighting and sound (they have a cat doin' front of house from a booth). Below, a pic of the lounge from the L.A. Times.

Place is extremely comfortable, and the drink prices are reasonable for an A-List Strip venue. Major props to manager Paul Vella for going with live music rather than DJ canned sound.

We were struck by how easy it was to get there. Head east on Spring Mountain Road from the 15, cross LV Blvd, hang your first right, down into the (free) parking garage, two quick lefts into P3, plenty of parking close by the elevators. The lounge is right by the Jersey Boys Show theater, so just follow the signs.

This new lineup includes the awesome Tim Scott on bass and vocals and the unreal John Wedemeyer on guitar (Todd Smith was subbing on drums last night for regular cat Jimmy Keegan). They call the band "Side Guys."

BTW, I dig the goatee, Ronnie. Also BTW, folks, Ronnie still does Thursday nights at The Ice House with his A-List lineup known as "Funk's Way".

Tim is solid as granite, a veteran who plays his ass off and sings awesome blues. John -- what can I say? -- this cat has gotta be the tastiest guitarist I ever heard. He's the Drew Zingg of blues, hands-down. And he's far more than just a blues cat (dude went all Wes Montgomery on us at one point during a beautiful jazz ballad). His chops are blazing and his motivic sense is simply beautiful to experience. I am not kidding; you gotta hear him if you've yet to. We had not yet met. He was hip to the blog, but this was our first face-to-face. Delightful person. That smile (below) exudes from his music, big-time.

Yeah, man. John, I got three words for ya: Solo CD, bro'. Please! (CD cover pic right there for ya, LOL!) Same for you, Ronnie (Ronnie and I have already had that discussion).

OK, they're gonna be at Salute at least 5 nights a week ongoing now, so please do show up and support this lounge and these fine players.
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FYI from Dave Siefkes:

Another FYI:

Tomorrow we launch a new Fat City Horns website that Rob has been working on. Wait till you see this puppy. Rob has done an awesome job on it. Also, recall that our beloved Fat City Horns first unit will be back with the band at The Palms tomorrow night.

I expect to see them dance.

UPDATE FROM BOBBYG'S OWNER, LUCIE

ON "HEALING" OF ANOTHER, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT SORT

(AP) -- His back resting comfortably against her chest, Hector nestles his massive canine head into Leslie Nuccio's shoulder, high-fiving pit bull paws against human hands.

The big dog -- 52 pounds -- is social, people-focused, happy now, it seems, wearing a rhinestone collar in his new home in sunny California.

But as Hector sits up, deep scars stand out on his chest, and his eyes are imploring.

Hector ought to be dead, Nuccio knows -- killed in a staged fight, executed for not winning or euthanized by those who see pit bulls seized in busts as "kennel trash," unsuited to any kind of normal life.

Instead, Hector is learning how to be a pet.

After the hell of a fighting ring, he has reached a heaven of sorts: saved by a series of unlikely breaks, transported thousands of miles, along with other dogs rescued with him, and now nurtured by Nuccio, her roommate, Danielle White, and their three other dogs.

The animals barrel around the house, with 4-year-old Hector leading the puppy-like antics -- stealth underwear grabs from the laundry basket, dashes across the living room, food heists from the coffee table -- until it's "love time" and he decelerates and engulfs the women in a hug.

"I wish he could let us know what happened to him," says Nuccio, the big tan dog's foster mother.

But what she does know is this: Hector has come a long way since he was trapped in the horrors of Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels...

...Weekly "canine good citizen" classes are correcting his social ineptitude. And he's taking cues on good manners from patient Pandora, a female pit bull mix who's queen of the household's dogs. Once Hector graduates, he'll take classes to become a certified therapy dog, helping at nursing homes and the like.

For now, he's learning the simple pleasures of a blanket at bedtime, a peanut butter-filled chew toy, even classical music.

"I put on Yo-Yo Ma one day and he cocked his head, laid down and listened to the cello next to the speaker," Nuccio said. "He's turning out to be a man of high class and culture."
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Lotta these dogs are now up at Best Friends in southern Utah.

Woof,

- Lucie