We hear that Deval Patrick 's peeps are busy signing up musicians with some Mass. ties for the incoming gov's Inaugural Ball at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Jan. 4. Names that have been bandied about include one-time Ray Charles Raelette, Patti Austin , jazz artist Walter Beasley and Herb Reed and The Platters . Word is that Boston singer/song writer Larry Woo Wedgeworth will perform the Victory Song that was used extensively during Deval's campaign.

Oak Bluffs summer rez Spike Lee is set to direct a biopic about the life of the late Godfather of Soul, James Brown . Brown reportedly was helping with the script before his death earlier this week. No word whether the flick will make reference to Mr. I-Feel-Good's famous Boston Garden performance the night after Martin Luther King 's assassination.

Pop princess Mariah Carey hosted Niche Media's big Christmas bash at the oh-so-swish Hotel Jerome in Aspen the other night, alongside magazine bigwig Jason Binn . Niche is, of course, the company that brought you Boston Common magazine.

Finally, kudos to the boys at barstoolsports.com for coming up with a hilarious "Saturday Night Live" clip proving that the Weekend Update bunch broke the news of ex-President Gerald Ford 's death 10 years ago.