Click logo for article link. You won't need a chaser for this sweet offering by Jessie Nelson August 25, 2005 The Valley is ready for a night of jazz, funk, downtempo and world beats, according to local record producer Joe DiPadova, and he plans to give it to them. This Friday DiPadova will kick off his inaugural StraightNoChaser event -- a weekly event that will include funk, jazz and hip-hop DJs, right in the heart of downtown Tempe. Meant to appeal to a wide range of audiences and age groups, DiPadova plans to start the night with wine tastings and more adult offerings and end up with more cutting-edge, danceable music as the night progresses. "I think Tempe and Phoenix are kind of ripe for something like this, something different and cutting edge, appealing to different crowds," he said. "People are sick of walking into a club and just hearing a DJ play all night, it's boring now." For StraightNoChaser, named after the Thelonious Monk album of the same name, DiPadova has assembled a team of artists and musicians including Lona Lee from Rayn Dance Company and Raul Yanez, leader of the latin-jazz orchestra CPR. He chose the name because "of what jazz is in my opinion. It's a soulful musical name to me. It has character." The first two hours of the night will feature live jazz, with musicians drawn from the community. The latter part of the event will feature DJs spinning everything from Afro-beat and funk to Cuban music. For this inaugural week Lars Behrenroth from the Sonar Kollectiv in Germany will be featured along with Santos from Yoruba Records. The foundation of this night, according to DiPadova, lies in the fact that all this music stems from jazz. "When people try to do different formats, they pull together formats that don't work, for example with live bands; jazz and metal," he said. "The thing about (StraightNoChaser) is (the bands) really have the same vibe." In addition, a different Phoenix charity will get face-time to promote their cause via StraightNoChasers promotional materials and an appearance at the event. "It's one really special event every week," DiPadova said. "We'll be exposing people to other forms of music."