Guitarist Nocy Karkour, who performs simply under the name Nocy at the Fontana Lounge inside Bellagio, said he doesn't mind the weekly commute he makes between Las Vegas and his home in Los Angeles.

"I've been touring all my life," he told Showbiz. "At the same time, it gives the opportunity for people in other places to get to know me."

Nocy, whose guitar work is a unique and indescribable blend of styles, began playing at the Mirage before he moved to Bellageio recently. His playing is truly an unusual mix, including touches of blues, folk, classical, flamenco, salsa and jazz, among other styles.

His style is a question Nocy said he gets asked about a lot because people can't quite figure out how to classify him. And Las Vegas provides him with the perfect place to play for international audiences in each setting. "People come and see you from other places; places I don't know if I ever can go," he said. His success here, said Nocy, is due to Steve Wynn. Wynn first spotted him playing at a private party for a friend of Wynn's, and was certain no one in Las Vegas had heard anyone quite like him.

"The first thing Wynn said to me, which I'll never forget in my life, he said, 'When I bring you to Vegas, I know nobody is going to ever hear anything like those melodies,'" Nocy recalled. Now, he said, nearly any time he's in town he's approached at least once by someone who walks up and says, "I've never heard anything like that in Las Vegas." And propably not very many other places either.

After performing at Steve Wynn's resorts for over 3 years Steve told Nocy: "I wish I had 5 Nocys!" Nocy was very flattered by his comment.

Todd Peterson, Showbiz Weekly, Sept. + Nov. 99

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