It's no secret that Humboldt County fosters its own music scenes. There's the rock music scene, the jam band scene, and the reggae scene, for starters. And sometimes, because of people like Brian Swizlo, those different genres are brought together to work and grow off of each other.

Swizlo has been around the Humboldt County music scene for about 11 years now, and plays keyboards full-time with five of the areas prominent musical groups--The Nucleus, Subliminal Sabotage, Bump Foundation, Moo-Got-2, and Ishi Dube and Massagana.

That he can easily slip into and out of funk, jam, electronica, hip-hop and reggae styles of music tells him that other musicians can do the same thing, and Swizlo wants to see them do it.

Brad Van Pelt, of the Red Fox Tavern, approached Swizlo around six months ago, about creating the Acid Jazz Experiment, in its 15th consecutive week, this coming Monday.

"When I lived in Nederland, Colo.," says Van Pelt, "they had an great acid jazz night that brought together great players from the local to national scene who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play together.

"I thought the acid jazz experiments would be a great asset to the Humboldt County music community," he continues. "It brings out everyone from musicians, to music connoisseurs, to people who just want to get down with the funk!"

"The idea was to gather all of the musicians in town," says Swizlo,

A downside of the normal open mic concept is that each musician only gets three songs or fifteen minutes on stage -- enough time to warm up, but not enough time to really get into the groove.

"After the second or third jam (during the Acid Jazz Experiment), you start to get to know the players," says Swizlo, "and after a while, the music starts sounding really good."

The Red Fox Acid Jazz Experiment is not an open mic, so a musician can't just show up and play. It's an open structure, says Swizlo, "organized chaos," open to any musician who wants to come out and play any kind of funk music, and gets a hold of him first.

Swizlo organizes the players, each week, usually on the day of the event, so by the time 8 p.m. Monday rolls around, he usually has a backline, consisting of drums, a bass, and a guitar set up. Sometimes the backline folks make suggestions as to other players that should be involved that night, and sometimes Swizlo calls someone who has approached him in a previous week. In any given night, it can be expected that on stage at some point will be at least bass and drums, probably guitars, probably keyboards, most likely percussion, some horn players, vibraphone, and possibly a vocalist or two, many of whom have never played together before.

Some local musicians that have taken part in the Red Fox Acid Jazz Experiment over the last 14 weeks have included drummers Tofu Mike, Mike Meyers, Pete Ciotti of The Nucleus and Yer Dog, Dale Cash and Jon Murdock on bass, Dan Perez and Wolf Navarro on guitar, keyboardist Matt Engel, and countless others.

"It always starts out with just a jam in a key," says Swizlo. "This particular night is made to forget what you know and get onstage and make people dance, funky style.

"I'm very interested in pushing peoples' musical minds," he continues. "I'm extremely interested in seeing what people can do when they get outside of themselves.

"My view for this whole thing is that I'd like to see the next five or six good bands come out of this," says Swizlo. "I'd like to see some of these players get together and form bands, so that's why it's different from a blues night."

He would also like to oversee the eventual release of a series of albums, called the Red Fox Acid Jazz Experiment, that will help to promote the "Humboldt County music movement," as Swizlo calls it.

"It's got its own style, it's got its own niche, it's got its own music scene. It's a total community that breathes its own life and there's tons of good music," he says.

The Red Fox Acid Jazz Experiment starts at 9 p.m. every Monday night with DJ Rickshaw spinning a variety of danceable tunes, followed by live music a little after 10 p.m.

Musicians hoping to get in touch with Brian Swizlo can contact the Red Fox Tavern.

Subliminal Sabotage is an aptly named force of nature.

Their infectious mixture of beats and rhymes attacks the soul below the threshold of conscious perception.

Their sonic fury sets its controls for the center of your mind, deliberately subverting everything that you thought you knew about the urgency of rhythm fused with the power of the spoken word.

Hip Hop is alive and well in Humboldt County. Sub Sab is here to make sure that it stays that way.

The group's DNA is an ultra-magnetic marriage of live instruments and tight flows.

Sub Sab's music is born from a cornucopia of sound where guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and horns intermingle with the nimble verbal virtuosity of three of the best MC's on the North Coast.

They are a virtual army of musicians.

Creating the sonic foundation is Nucleus, a live band that's been a part of the North Coast rock 'n' roll scene for the last seven years. Piet Demolition coaxes exotic sounds from his guitar as P.C. keeps the rhythm thunderously alive at his drum kit. Steve Webb makes sure the groove never leaves the stage on bass while B. Swizlo adds a zesty blend of funk on keyboards.

Sub Sab's full and rich sound is rounded out by propulsive percussionist Galen Davis, Chris Noonan who wails on the saxophone and flute, Mike Lee rocking the cello (yes, you read that right...the cello), DJ Just One works his turntables into a frenzy as hype man Berel Alexander ignites each chorus with his own brand of rampant energy.

These elements alone make for an eclectic and towering tour de force. But Sub Sab isn't complete without its MCs.

On the microphones is a triumvirate of lyrical fury from Elision, MikaSun and MCP (Emcee Problematic.) Each energetic wordsmith wields their own unique voice which culminates in a barrage of intelligent and mind-blowing lyrics. Elision (a veteran of the legendary Humboldt County Freestyle Kings crew) typically gets the party started. Part carnival-barker, part rapid-fire conscious rapper, Elision is a student of all styles of flow.

MikaSun--once a mere background supporter, now turned enigmatic front man--adds his deep baritone and deep observations about life and politics to the mix. MCP--gravelly, grimy, and always compelling--brings a frenetic style that mixes quick-witted couplets and vivid storytelling.

Subliminal Sabotage is a complete sonic package.

"When you walk into one of our shows and see ten to fifteen people onstage--it can be pretty overwhelming," says B. Swizlo, who is not only the man behind the keys but he also oversees the mixing boards in the studio. "At first, you might think you're seeing a bunch of dudes up there just going crazy--but really, what we are is a live Hip Hop orchestra. If you come to our show, you'll be bouncing."

When confronted with the inevitable stereotype of being a Humboldt Hip Hop outfit, Swizlo is very cool-headed about it.

"We've taken the jam sound and melded it with Hip Hop." B Swizlo said. "Our sound encompasses the whole spectrum: Rock, jazz, blues, funk, R&B, Hip Hop. We aren't trying to get on MTV. Most people would simply think we're a bunch of white boys who are just talking about weed, but we're more than that. We live the Humboldt lifestyle; we are a part of the community. Our songs focus on a lot of emotional and social issues--relationships, politics, the erosion of the environment. We've been lucky to be here and see hip hop grow -- that's been a big thing for us."

When Sub Sab takes the stage at Humbrews, you won't be standing around for too long. Their set is filled with a lucid energy that will inspire plenty of head-nodding and fits of funky dancing. Expect a few surprise guests to join in on the fun, including local legend Garth Cultivader, a friend and collaborator.

You will definitely be bouncing until last call.