Reno/Sparks, Nev.— Ever-evolving guitarist and prolific songwriter Craig Chaquico returns for one magical night, March 22, in the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga's Nugget.

Chaquico is an eclectic, divergent musician with an ultra-successful career spanning multiple decades. His latest offering, Holiday (2006), reached the New Age Billboard Top 10 list. Prior to that, Midnight Noon (2005) effectively blended an esteemed status as smooth jazz veteran with inspiration derived from a collective reflection of lifelong musical experiences and influences.

"I learned the language of music by playing guitar along with vinyl LPs in my bedroom with the door locked all day and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning, and then wearing a fake mustache at night to play nightclubs as a teenager, and eventually by playing all the lead guitar parts in Jefferson Starship and Starship,” Chaquico said. “But it all started as a kid listening to my musical heroes - Clapton, Santana, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Larry Carlton and George Benson on guitar, to name only but a few. The album was a perfect opportunity for me to reflect on all of those musical heroes' influences at least once on this record, and to also reflect and realize my parents were also the real heroes when they went to work every day to put food on the table.”

Driving Chaquico’s determination is a successful recovery from a recent hand injury that admittedly threatened to cut short his career.

"After not knowing if I would ever be able to play again, or support my own family by playing the guitar, the happiness and joy of being able to actually play again, made me want to express all that in the overall optimistic mood of my playing on this CD,” Chaquico said.

Chaquico's extraordinary and multi-faceted career has engaged and inspired at least two generations of audio aficionados. He achieved initial superstardom at the young age of 16, when he started recording with Jefferson Airplane. Having scored 13 Gold and Platinum Albums from 1974 to 1990, his shows are known for high energy and intricate guitar playing. His musical talent was discovered in his youth while recovering from a terrible car accident. To help pass the time and hasten the healing process, doctors recommend guitar therapy. After his hospital stay, he continued to play guitar and started performing at age 14. He has evolved into a smooth jazz band leader having released several award-winning and chart-topping solo albums.

Since the release of his debut album, Acoustic Highway (1993), all of Chaquico's solo recordings have sold a total of over one million copies. Guitar Player Magazine readers voted Craig the #1 Best Pop Instrumental Guitarist in their annual readers poll. Acoustic Highway was honored as Billboard's No. 1 Top New Age Indie Album of the Year for 1993 and was Billboard Magazine's Adult Alternative Album of the Year.

Craig Chaquico plays one night, Saturday, March 22, in the Celebrity Showroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $25 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do The Nugget Tonight!”