"There's a time warp in Amsterdam--Music is where it was in the '40s"

It was a slightly less brisk Thursday evening and a handful of new Dutch students biked off into the night. The cobbled streets and motionless canals whizzed by as the students rode towards Leidseplein and a little gem known as Cafe Alto.

Cafe Alto is a tiny hole-in-the-wall jazz club and bar in one of the most touristy areas of Amsterdam. But the neon hustle and bustle of the streets does not spill into the diminutive Cafe Alto. No more than three yards across, its the kinda place that always feels packed. We walked out of the cold only to be greeted with incendiary modern jazz. An electric guitarist, drummer and keyboardist were wailing away at the far end of the place.

During a quick break from the stage, we were able to grab a table up front. We took time to admire the walls and ceiling of the cafe, covered in photographs and posters of jazz giants. The trio returned to the stage for their 3rd set and we settled in, ready for the show.

What came next was simply indescribable, a veritable cascade of splintering guitar antics and keyboard and organ blasts and a percussionist having the time of his life. We were all mesmerized by the perfection of the guitarist. And boy, did he look the part. Lanky in a pair of tight jeans and with hair that went to his chin, he stood like a rock god of old and put on a clinic.

None of us were prepared for the conclusion of the set. The piece d'resistance. A slow beat broke the silence, some light synths emanated from the keyboard. And then, with all the urgent energy of an electric wail, the guitarist launched into Billie Jean. A half-improvised masterpiece followed. A celestial organ preached while the guitar whined through the bridge. A guitar solo here, a drum solo there... and then the final climax. We could all hear it:

Billie Jean is not my lover...
Billie Jean is not my lover...
Billie Jean is not my lover...

The set wrapped. The band left the stage; the magic lingered for just a moment longer.

Jazz may have been popular in Amsterdam back in the '40s too; but by no means is the music scene stuck in the past. Jazz here is just as fresh, edgy and full of energy as when Miles Davis invented 'cool'.