Colorado Music Experience

Born in 1941, Purnell Steen grew up in Denver as a student of classical piano and part of a musical dynasty, with cousins including 5-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves; keyboardist, composer and producer George Duke; saxophonist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson; and legendary bassist Charlie Burrell. Between the 1920s and 1950s, the Five Points neighborhood was a sanctuary for the African American community and the heart of Denver’s thriving jazz community, with over fifty bars and clubs playing host to local players and all the greats, from Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Jack Kerouac called the cultural and entertainment mecca the “Harlem of the West.” For nearly 40 years, with his bands Le Jazz Machine and the Five Points Ambassadors, Steen has been a favorite on the Denver scene, dedicated to preserving and playing the “Five Points style” of jazz at clubs and festivals. In September 2022, the Ambassadors toured Denver’s sister city, Brest, France, as part of a cultural exchange.

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Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Doug Kauffman cofounded Nobody in 1987 and became a fixture in the Denver music industry, promoting concerts by emerging alternative rock acts as well as jazz, folk, rock and blues artists. He rented and then bought Englewood’s Gothic Theatre, and in the early Nineties, to save the Ogden Theatre from demolition, he purchased it with a loan from the City of Denver and turned it back into a live music venue. He then partnered to control concert promotion access to the Bluebird Theater as well. NIPP grew into a 25-person company, promoting concerts at numerous music venues in Denver, from Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Pepsi Center to the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Lion’s Lair, a small dive bar. In 2001, NIPP filed a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations against Clear Channel Entertainment, one of the largest radio and entertainment conglomerates in the world, claiming Clear Channel muscled artists into turning over promotion of their concerts rather than risk losing airplay and promotional support on the five local radio stations owned by Clear Channel. The lawsuit was settled three years later; Kauffman was pleased with the agreement, which many saw as a clear victory for independent concert promoters.

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Based in Boulder, Rare Silk—originally a female trio consisting of sisters MaryLynn and Gayle Gillaspie and Marguerite Juenemann—started out revisiting tunes from the swing era of the late ’30s and early ’40s. At the 1978 inception of KGNU, a Boulder community radio station, they created a regular public access show. The three got their break in 1980 when they opened for Benny Goodman, “the King of Swing,” at Macky Auditorium in Boulder. Goodman fell in love with the girls’ tight, precisely harmonized material and asked them to accompany his tour. Joined by male vocalist Todd Buffa, the innovative ensemble then began modernizing its approach with stylistic versions of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea songs. An A&R exec at PolyGram Records soon heard Rare Silk’s sound, and the group’s debut album, New Weave, made its way to #2 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal - Duo or Group at the 1984 Grammy Awards, and Buffa was nominated in the Arrangement - Two or More Voices category. Juenemann was replaced by Barbara Reeves, then Jamie Broumas. Rare Silk recorded two albums on the Palo Alto label and toured perpetually, winning over audiences with perfected harmonies, choreographed sequences and a diverse mixture of material. The group disbanded in 1988. MaryLynn Gillaspie returned to singing circa 2011 and released Secret Language, her solo CD produced by Kip Kuepper, in 2022.

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Sean Kelly moved from Vermont to Boulder in 1987 and started the Samples, quickly becoming a fixture on local club stages and building a grassroots network of fans across the country. Known for his striking voice and original songs that mixed rock, reggae and folk, the Samples put Colorado on the musical map as a popular and talented touring band. The group was also busy in the studio over the decades, recording more than 15 albums ranging from major-label experiences to their own independent releases. Kelly has fronted different iterations of the Samples over the decades; when not touring with the latest lineup, he plays his songs acoustically. Part of Pantheon Podcasts

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Bill Stevenson is the drummer and only constant member of Descendents, a legendary punk band formed in 1978 in California. He recorded several albums with Black Flag, then focused his attention on Descendents until lead singer Milo Aukerman left the band to pursue a graduate degree. Stevenson and the remaining members formed All, eventually relocating to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he built the Blasting Room, a recording studio financed with money acquired from All’s contract with a major record label. All and Descendents continue to make music while Stevenson also pursues his career as a record producer.

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After attending college, majoring with a focus on jazz piano, Kyle Hollingsworth set out on a career in music. Moving to Boulder, Colorado, he eventually joined String Cheese Incident, writing and performing in a mosaic of styles with the acclaimed jam band. The innovative and virtuosic musician has collaborated with a horde of major acts and leads a solo project, Kyle Hollingsworth Band. He is also an avid craft brewer and has hosted events and concerts spotlighting his collaborative beverages.

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“Herbie” owned two legendary venues that served as ground zero for Colorado’s live music scene in the ’60s and ’70s.

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The trance bluesman’s dark, driving music is matched with blunt lyrics about race relations and social injustices.

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Join us for the story of how these Colorado kids rode their talent into the Top 10 and The Ed Sullivan Show.

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