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| Karl Denson |
Karl Denson grew
up in San Diego and Santa Ana, California. Working as a funk and jazz
saxophonist, flutist and vocalist, Denson met Lenny Kravitz during a recording session in 1988, and then played
in Kravitz's touring band and on three albums. When Kravitz let go of the horns
in 1992, Denson embarked on a solo recording career in jazz. In 1994, he also became
one of the founders of San Diego's boogaloo revivalists Greyboy Allstars and its acid jazz grooves. The band dissolved
after three years and Denson formed a new band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe (KDTU).
KDTU presently includes Denson, guitarists D.J.
Williams and Chris Mule, keyboardist
David Veith, trumpeter Chris Littlefield, bassist Chris Stillwell and drummer Alan Evans. The band's third and most
recent album, New Ammo, was released
in 2014. In recent years, Denson also has played sax in the Rolling Stones, Slightly Stoopid and the Karl
Densen Trio (KD3).
Headlining a Phish
New Year's night after-party at Irving
Plaza tonight, Denson and company came on stage in the wee hours and played
into the morning hours. Rooted in hip-moving funk and soul, the band sounded
very much like the revue bands that supported old-time rhythm and blues
vocalists. The set was comprised largely of originals and most were
instrumentals, but also included covers of Pink
Floyd's "Fearless," Band
of Gypsys' "Power of Soul," and for an encore, a reworked version
of the Mission: Impossible theme.
Most of Denson's work was on the tenor saxophone, although he occasionally sang
and towards the end he played his flute. The strength of the set was that the compositions'
loose structures allowed for many dynamic solos and energetic jams. The
occasional vocals served only to give random identity and melody to the more
prominent and extended instrumentation; had the vocals or lyrics been
emphasized, the set would have been a much different kind of performance. This
was a 1970s funk jam revival.
Visit Karl Denson at www.karldenson.us.
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