Critic's Choice

When the lads in the Herbalizer, Sunday, September 26, at Boulder's Fox Theatre, roll out of South London and across the American heartland, they roll deep. DJ Ollie Teeba and bass player Jake Wherry are the principals here, though a current American tour finds the duo morphed into a full-on...

September 23, 1999

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When the lads in the Herbalizer, Sunday, September 26, at Boulder's Fox Theatre, roll out of South London and across the American heartland, they roll deep. DJ Ollie Teeba and bass player Jake Wherry are the principals here, though a current American tour finds the duo morphed into a full-on funk/jazz outfit, replete with saxes and flutes, congas and bongos. The eight-piece band will play selections from the Herbalizer's excellent new release, Very Mercenary (on Ninja Tune). The band's beats are blunted, and the vibe is on the mellower side of the hip-hop spectrum; those in the know might characterize it as the Roots meets Thievery Corporation. The Herbalizer's music lends itself to blurry descriptions: It's about groove, it's about funk, it's about hip-hop, and it's definitely about jazz. But this English posse could care less about being categorized -- its members just want to get down. On this tour, the band has brought an artist along to do a painting of each night's show. The renderings are sold at the end of the night to the highest bidder, so bring some cash along with your appreciation of fine art and music. -- Charlie Hunter

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