Columnist Jerry Fink: Oasis proves refreshing for Vegas jazz lovers

Friday, July 25, 2003 | 8:41 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at jerry@lasvegassun.com at (702) 259-4058.

Las Vegas is awash in a sea of smooth jazz, thanks to KOAS 105.7-FM, aka The Oasis.

Hardcore fans of straight-ahead jazz may not appreciate the jazz-lite that is served by The Oasis, but there are plenty of listeners who do.

"The music probably should be called contemporary jazz," said Erik Foxx, The Oasis' program director. "But radio put a handle on it for the audience. It's not always smooth, and it's not always jazz. It's not straight-ahead jazz and it's not blues.

"It's just kind of a hip, fun, 'up' feeling kind of music."

Foxx says smooth jazz is aimed more at mainstream audiences.

As a show of gratitude to The Oasis audience, the radio station sponsors free live shows every night except Saturdays and Mondays. Most of the programs begin at 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m.

The only change in schedule for the concerts is on Sundays, when shows begin at noon at Gordon Biersch on Paradise Road.

On Tuesdays the mini-concert moves to Cafe Nicole in the Sahara Pavilion Shopping Center at West Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard. Wednesdays it's at Green Valley Ranch Station's Whiskey Beach (an outdoor venue), which routinely attracts as many as 4,000 fans. Concerts at Whiskey Beach feature such nationally known artists as Skip Martin (a Vegas resident) and Pat Yandell.

The Cannery, on Craig Road at Interstate 15, hosts the concert on Thursdays, and on Fridays it is hosted by the Stardust in the Wayne Newton Theatre.

Among the dozens of jazz artists who may be heard at the various concerts are Keith Martin, David Van Such, IN 2 IT, Gypsy Knights, Tommy Alvarado and Jim Spoto.

"We can have the room whenever it's available on a Friday, when they don't have Andrew Dice Clay or someone else performing there," Foxx noted.

The Oasis began its series of concerts more than a year ago, as an experiment.

"The experimental stage is over," Foxx said.

A few hundred fans turned out for a recent show at the Stardust, which featured vocalist Jeanne Snow and the Tommy Thompson Project.

Foxx says smooth jazz stations in every major city in the country sponsor similar concerts.

"We are modeling what they do, showcasing artists that perform our type of music," he said.

What is different is the number of concerts and the quality of the musicians.

Foxx said most smooth jazz stations have one or two concerts a week, but Las Vegas has such a depth of musical talent that "All of the bands, all of the casinos want to work with us," he said. "We could do this every night of the week."

The Oasis lists information about the concerts on its website (1057theoasis.com).

"People planning on coming to Vegas check out the website to see who is performing while they're in town," he said. "A lot of them plan their trips around it."

Lounging around

Frank Sinatra tribute artist Gary Anthony recently debuted "A Swinging Affair" at the Joey Bistro on the 9th floor of the Carriage House, 105 E. Harmon Ave. Performances are 9 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays and 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays. Anthony is accompanied by keyboardist Ned Mills.

Pianist David Osborne recently released his 18th CD, "Always and Forever," a collection of romantic songs. The Miami, Okla., native performs at Caesars Palace's Cafe Lago. He has been at various venues at Caesars for eight years.

Osborne says the CD is available at 4,200 gift shops nationwide and at such retailers as Borders Books & Music, Hallmark and Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

The Stardust's Casbar Lounge has a stellar lineup of entertainment. Vocalist Ronnie Rathers & Split Decision (featuring Denise Clemente) perform at 6:15 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 5:15 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Susan McDonald may be heard at 11 p.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays and at 10 p.m., 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Doc Dockery sings the Blues from 2:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Vocalist Marilyn James sings at 11 p.m., 12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Tuesdays.