Daily Insider for January 8, 2004

Thursday January 08, 2004 10:21 AM EST

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January 8, 2004
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER
Ever wonder what Ben Affleck likes to listen to? Certainly ladylove Jennifer Lopez's CDs must be in the rotation (not surprisingly, the Paycheck star says her latest, This Is Me ... Then, is a "great album"). Beyond that, it seems J.Lo has been influencing more than his fashion choices, giving him what he calls an "education in music appreciation." "Jen has a sophisticated taste in music, and is a such a gifted songwriter," says Affleck. "She has introduced me to so many talented music producers, and (has) exposed me to music beyond hip-hop and rap."

RINGING IT IN
The hottest New Year's party in New York was actually two parties. After such stars as Scarlett Johansson, Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath and Lindsay Lohan got the night started at nightspot Lobby, the party moved 10 blocks to superhip club Marquee. There Johansson was spotted kissing a mystery man, and Chris Noth toasted the bow-out of Mr. Big (as Sex and the City enters its home stretch). Upstairs DJ Sky Nellor spun tunes for a crowd that included model Sophie Dahl, Mona Lisa Smile's Topher Grace, Erika Christensen, Ben Chaplin, Dominic West, Ali Larter (in black fishnets), Mario Lopez and fiancee Ali Landry and, from MTV's Rich Girls, Jaime Gleicher. Donatella Versace arrived at 3 a.m. – fashionably late, you might say.

PIECE OF CAKE
ER's Anthony Edwards played surgeon again recently – this time on son Bailey's birthday cake. Edwards served 20 of Bailey's friends at the University Place in Manhattan's Greenwich Village while his wife, Jeanine Lobell, founder of Stila Cosmetics, looked on.

Reported by: ANNE MARIE CRUZ, MARK DAGOSTINO and RACHEL FELDER

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