LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

Slide guitarist Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings headline the Station Casino s' blues series this week.

A native of Vallejo in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rogers became known as a producer for artists such as John Lee Hooker, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, Santana and Canned Heat.

He's also an amazing slide guitarist, named one of the "unsung heroes" by Guitar Player magazine. He toured with Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band in the early '80s as a featured guitarist and produced a half - dozen albums for the blues legend, including the Grammy-winning "The Healer" and "Mr. Lucky."

Rogers, 56, is about to release "Best of Two," a compilation of 18 songs from two of his most popular releases of the 1990 s - "Slide of Hand" and "Slide Zone." It features tracks with harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, banjo player Bela Fleck and pianists Allen Toussaint and Phil Aaberg.

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Santa Fe Station's Chrome Lounge; 8 p.m. Thursday, Boulder Station's Railhead ; both shows are free.

Manetti tries producing

Larry Manetti, best known for his sidekick role in "Magnum P.I." in the 1980s, is adding producer to his list of credits.

Manetti said he's begun preproduction on "90 Miles to Freedom," about an escape from Cuba. It will be directed by Joe Mantegna, a fellow Chicago native and star of the TV series "Criminal Minds." The script was written by John Briley, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for "Gandhi." The executive producer is Edward Lawson of Sunrider Films.

Manetti has spent a lot of time in Las Vegas the past four or five years, working as a consultant to former Plaza owner David Berrick.

Berrick is negotiating to buy another casino in Las Vegas, Manetti says. "And he's also locking up a riverboat deal on the Ohio River, and he's building three Indian casinos in Oklahoma."

Manetti also has been busy making guest appearances on the TV series "Las Vegas." When Tom Selleck replaced James Caan this season, he brought in former "Magnum" buddies Manetti and Roger Mosley for a few episodes.

But Manetti's putting most of his acting aside while he works on the film, which he says is budgeted for $15 million. Filming is expected to begin in the spring in Miami.

"In addition to producing the film, I'll have a part in the script, a sleazy lawyer," Manetti says.

Around town

Windy, a popular local jazz and blues artist, now performs from 8 p.m. to midnight Thursdays and Fridays at the Havana Cigar Bar, 3900 Paradise Road Rocker John Eddie is playing at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill at Harrah's from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. through Sunday "V - The Ultimate Variety Show" celebrates its fifth anniversary this week. Producer David Saxe says more than 2 million fans have attended performances at the Venetian, Aladdin and now Planet Hollywood. To celebrate, Saxe will sell tickets for $5 to locals through Friday with proceeds going to Opportunity Village Mariachi is back, celebrating Fiestas Patrias (Mexico's Independence) - the 17th annual Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at Planet Hollywood's Theatre for the Performing Arts. Special guests include Vikki Carr , Lupillo Rivera and Armando Manzanero. Featured entertainment includes Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan , Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and Mariachi Estrella de Jalisco de Ernesto Molina. Information: 474-4000 About 40,000 bikers are expected to roar into Las Vegas for the seventh annual Las Vegas BikeFest Sept. 27 to 30. The four-day event includes Artistry in Iron, a competition among top custom motorcycle builders. Information: lasvegasbikefest.com .