On a dark and lonely street in Five Points sits KUVO 89.3-FM, Denver's "Oasis in the City," the critically acclaimed independent jazz station. It's Friday night at midnight (technically Saturday morning), and DJ K-Nee takes to the microphone to host So What!, one of the few consistent outlets that keeps Denver updated on the newest and best grooves called acid jazz. "Acid jazz" is a term K-Nee uses to describe the music to his listeners, but he finds such a label a bit silly at the same time.

"The term 'acid jazz' was coined by a DJ in England years ago in response to the different groove of this new music when it hit the streets," K-Nee explained. "There was a movement called 'acid house, ' and 'acid jazz' was just sort of an off-the-cuff comment, I think. This music tends to be mellower, slower in tempo, and more soulful than traditional house music and a lot of other club music. It has the emotion that people tend to feel in great jazz music of the past. I don't know what the 'acid' is!"

In this tiny studio, among the stacks of CDs representing a long lineage of jazz greats-- Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Joshua Redman, Jon Scofield-- K-Nee adds a stack of his own in preparation for the evening's show. This time, the names are Massive Attack, Young Disciples, The Sneaker Pimps, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Mondo Grosso, Block 16, and Sun Ra. K-Nee asks his listeners to "feel the vibe, feel the groove." The phone rings, and a late-night voice asks for a favorite cut from a different show, or asks the identity of the previous artist. "There are some definite classics in this music," K-Nee said, referring to bands like Brand New Heavies, who in the early '90s London club scene made a mark with its slower, soulful, eclectic dance music.

The transfer of acid jazz over the Atlantic Ocean first hit New York City and quickly spread to other metropolitan areas like San Francisco. The Denver scene has a small but dedicated following. K-Nee's production company, Step-On Productions, hosts a club night at Rock Island every Tuesday with an estimated 250 to 300 people attending per week. So What! has expanded to a three-hour radio show to catch the party people leaving bars and heading home on Friday nights.

"We're just making our little niches for people to check out the vibe," K-Nee said. His show has been on the air at KUVO for six years, and his first club night with Step-On Productions happened eight years ago at the former City Spirit Cafe. "This really is future jazz in many ways," K-Nee explained. "There's not one particular sound-- it's a great big mix. It's not strict jazz as many would call it, but the philosophy is the same as jazz. This music pushes limits, it experiments with sound and soul, and it is for everybody."

--Judy B.

Hear So What!, Friday nights from midnight to 3 am on 89.3-FM and every Tuesday night at Rock Island, 1614 15th Street, Denver

The Inventor

Glenn White is at the forefront of Denver's jazz scene

What is the future of jazz? What can be done that hasn't been done already? Where do we look for inspiration? Glenn White seems to be asking these same questions, and he seems to be on the road to a few solid answers. The saxophone looks like it is an extension of his hands, easily connecting to mouth, mind and body. His is a thoughtful, remarkable style. He hasn't even been in Denver a year, but he's been gigging and playing and thinking.

"Everytime I play a tune, I want it to be different ... not in some formulaic way, but dictated by the ideas of the players at that moment. I want to listen first and play second."

White sounds like he's trying to put a new spin on what musicologists and critics call "free jazz," a movement started in the late '50s led by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler. To play free jazz meant losing the constraints of the beboppers, to lose the structure that those blazing players fought to hold on to (and won!). Among the first to go was the strict harmonic speed of the songs (like Coltrane's "Giant Steps"), then some of the rhythmic stuff went out the window as well. And, well, the solo section didn't really have to be 12 or 16 bars anymore, and while they were at it, some got rid of the melody completely and jammed in a certain key for a while. It was, and still is, some of the most striking and daunting jazz on record.

"Before the late '50s, every player in the band sort of had a job to do," White explained. "The drummer did his thing at the right time, and the horns came in where they were supposed to and the soloist played at the certain place in the song. It's not like that anymore. That's what I find so fascinating and interesting."

What can be frustrating is making a living playing tunes that no one knows because, well, they haven't been written until they are performed, and they'll never be played again the same way. As a member of the third generation away from free jazz (insert jazz fathers Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Wayne Shorter), White knows the history behind the music that lands at his fingertips every time he picks up his horn. "Listening is the key to this music. As a player, I have to have my ears open to the guy next to me. For inspiration, I've been listening to a lot of things that have this free and open quality ... not all of it is jazz, either," White admitted. Hmm.....

--Judy B.

See Glenn White with the G-dub 3tet at Common Grounds, 3438 W. 32nd Ave., July 20 at 8 pm and check www.glennwhite.net for updates.

BEAT DIET

History of Acid Jazz

Acid jazz was born in the late '80s. The term acid jazz itself was originally used to name a record label founded by Giles Peterson. The term was created to describe a fusion between acid house and jazz. While normally I can describe music very well, it seems as though the best way to describe it is a fusion of the straight beats of house, the lyrical feel of hip hop, the melodies and horns of jazz, and the vibe of funk and soul. While that might sound like a complicated blend, it remains simple and easy to listen to, carrying with it a peacefulness and chill vibe. It was created around the time of the acid house boom in the United Kingdom for use in the smaller secondary rooms at raves and nightclubs.

While it was hard to find any one straight definition of the genre, one thing remained constant in every article: funk. Every article I read described acid jazz as being funky, and filled with soul. While it does have a very jazzy feel, it also has the capability to move dance floors. Some of the first times acid jazz was played to a dancefloor were at the early acid house clubs. DJs were wary at first

to try the abstract beats on a dance floor accustomed to a thumping house beat. But the crowds responded well, and the acid jazz scene was born. Unlike house music, acid jazz is also performed live. In more recent years that is primarily the case. Live bands accompanied by DJs perform for snowboard competitions, fashion shows, and nightclubs. In England, this is mostly for the college-age crowd.

Perhaps the most internationally recognized artist to portray this style now would be Jamiroquai. Acid jazz is music for the musician. It is complex, soulful, and funky; encompassing many different genres and therefore catering to many different tastes. The creation of acid jazz is the bringing together of musicians from different styles and influences to create a synthesis of sound. Other artists to watch out for are Digable Planets, Guru, Massive Attack, and Stereo MCs. While all of these artists may not be strictly "acid jazz" they do encompass the feel of the genre and will get you well on your way to being an acid jazz junkie.

ORANGE PEEL

Orange is derived from yello, according to legendary techno icon richie hawtin, and yellow is derived from yello as well. Hawtin, better known by his breakdancing martian alterego Plastikman, is definitely a krakpot. But the preceding logikal nonsense is actually referring to "oh yeah," a yello record that found its way into the finale of many plastik mixes before ultimately becoming the inspiration behind two of hawtin's more recent releases, Minus Yellow, and my own personal favorite plastik wax, Minus Orange.

Richie Hawtin was born in england, but soon migrated to canada to enable his old man's employment in the nearby Motor City of Detroit. Early muzikal influences included Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Front 242, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Jeff Mills and Kevin Saunderson. Hawtin initiated his career as a shelter resident in the late eighties, prior to founding plus eight records with John Acquaviva in 1989. States of mind's Elements of Tone became Plus Eight's debut the following year, thanks in part to a generous advance from Acquaviva's Plastik loanshark.

Sheet One, Hawtin's first official Plastikman release, once got him arrested in Texas for possession of a controlled substance due to its suspicious similarity to blotter paper. Novamute, Hawtin's British distributor, submitted a shrink-wrapped copy of the disc in an order to clear his name. What Texas authorities failed to realize, was that the acid was in the Muzik, not the artwork. On Thursday, June twenty-eighth, Richie Hawtin's skizofrenik technarchy whipped churchgoers into a spastik frenze. They will never be the same again.

--orange peel moses

For more information on Richie Hawtin, go to www.m-nus.com

--orange peel moses

CD Review

XIREN: BULLETS & RAINBOWS

The latest effort from local song-and-guitar wizard Xiren shows a range of emotion and style from track to track unmatched by any other Colorado musician this year. From the Peter Gabriel-influenced initial track "Leave Me" to the offhand charm of "Dirty Old Song," Bullets & Rainbows lives up to its title. This is not a concept album, but the name implies a theme of eclecticism in imagery, and the music delivers.

Xiren's voice has the strained tenor sound of Sting or Seal, but with a touch of baritone in its base -- you get the idea he could sing Barry White if he had to. The tracks are masterfully produced (with the exception of "The Marvelous Trip" which shows ragged edges, though this might be on purpose) and thoughtfully arranged to maximize the feeling of breadth ... it sounds like it's on shuffle even when played straight through.

The more upbeat songs on the album, the bullets, are underlined with heavy techno beats courtesy of Xiren's co-producer, Ben Jansen. This formula of adult alternative songwriting over contemporary beats has catapulted David Grey to stardom, and it works just as well for Xiren; he's always been an artist to sing along with, but now you can dance, too.

The rainbows (" Circus" and "Where Are You Now?" being the most powerful) use a full palate of layering and texture to support Xiren's voice, and there are some shining examples of overdub, especially in the chorus of "Geralyn," Bullets & Rainbows' nominal single.

And, just for those who want even more diversity than bullets and rainbows, there's a techno remix of "Let It Shine" as a hidden track, coming literally out of the blue. It sounds like it belongs on a completely different CD.

Now that Xiren has rounded up a solid live band, expect to see him playing live more frequently. If his two studio albums are any indication, he's an act not to be missed. A --Chris J. Magyar

CD Review

PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS: FUCK WITH FIRE

Planes Mistaken For Stars, a local hardcore outfit made up of four passionate muscicians, takes its debut album on No Idea Records to new levels. No Idea has recorded bands such as Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike and Dillinger Four. No Idea seems like an appropriate home for the kind of muddy emo-core sound Planes is going for. Although the album Fuck With Fire isn't much different from Planes' first release, as far as song composition and content go, the quality and passion is much more intense.

Track five, "Bloody But Unbowed," is a blitzkrieg of power chords built to a crescendo ending that makes you wonder what it would be like to see them play the song live. "Hollow hands have never torn like this/No one leaves until we have our fists broken...." "Bloody But Unbowed" definitely lends itself lyricically to the stigma of emotional music, even though people in the punk community tend to cringe at the word 'emo'. If you are lucky enough to catch Planes live, try to see it in the basement of its house in North Denver, where home is as comfortable as Olympia beer and there's no real show curfew.

There is actually one major difference between Fuck With Fire and its self-titled debut from Deep Elm Records-- the vocals, which are grittier, meaner, sometimes sounding a bit like the front man from the British trio Leatherface, and one step removed from the "Copper and Stars" ballad on the first album. The album's poignant lyrics don't follow the bullshit stanza/ chorus, so formulaic of most rock outfits, just words manipulated to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and bob your head in understanding.

The great and selfish music appreciator would not want a band this good to be shared with the sheep who favor the sound of Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach, but on the other hand, music from Planes Mistaken For Stars is anything but radio friendly. Unless of course that radio happens to be Radio 1190.

One fact worthy of noting is the band is from Denver and doesn't sound like a bubble gum pop punk-Blink 182 rip off, like local teen punkers, Misunderstood. Planes Mistaken for Stars is so far from Blink 182 that the only thing it has in common with Blink is playing electric guitars. Bands like Planes Mistaken for Stars will hopefully continue to do their duty by diluting the mainstream ... or rather by poisoning the mainstream until it atrophies on itself and dies. But one can only hope for something this revolutionary to happen, so until then enjoy the music that manifests itself on the outer core of popular culture and music. A --Shane Roeschlein

CD Review

MARILLION: ANORAKNOPHOBIA

This remarkable British outfit has been around longer than dirt, and yet, even after plugging out albums nearly every year since 1982, Marillion still manages to sound entirely fresh (unlike more popular prog-rock Brits, Genesis, who have survived longer, but mutated with less success from one incarnation to the next).

Even though all eight tracks are longer than six minutes (some stretching to ten), don't expect long-winded musical theory spinning-- this is straight up rock-n-roll, the stuff Radiohead left behind ... or is trying to catch up to. A --Chris J. Magyar

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