Karl Denson crosses America with his Tiny Universe
Jazz saxophonist Karl Denson will follow up his stint on Ratdog's So Many Roads tour with nearly three months of headlining club dates across the U.S.
Denson is supporting his recent Blue Note album, "Dance Lesson #2," which has been on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart for over three months. The groove-oriented jazz release features DJ Logic on turntables amid a squad of veteran jazz players, including guitarist Charlie Hunter, drummer Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) and organist Ron Levy (Albert King, B.B. King).
Denson's touring ensemble lacks a DJ, but still focuses on the music from "Dance Lesson #2"; the group, called Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, consists of guitarist Brian Jordan, trumpeter Andy Cleaves, bassist Ron Johnson, keyboardist David Veith and drummer Eric Bolivar.
Denson is best known to pop audiences for his work with Lenny Kravitz on Kravitz's albums "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said." He later played with American acid-jazz group, Greyboy Allstars, before focusing on a solo career. Like the Medeski, Martin & Wood trio, Denson has seen his jazz cross over substantially with a jam-band audience--an association strengthened by the So Many Roads experience, and by his contributing to String Cheese Incident's recent album, "Outside Inside."
When they get to New Orleans, Denson and company will hook up with the one-day Voodoo Music Experience festival (9/27), featuring Tool, the Black Crowes, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot and Better Than Ezra. That evening, the group will perform a concert at the city's Saenger Theatre. The next day they will play at the nearby House of Blues.
Denson and Tiny Universe are also scheduled for two-day stints in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Charleston, S.C.
The three Northwest dates of Denson's tour will feature opening guest Garaj Mahal, a quartet that includes accomplished guitarist Fareed Haque.
September
19 - Chico, CA - CSU Chico
20 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
21 - Seattle, WA - King Cat Theater
23 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
24 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
25 - Bozeman, MT - TBA
26-27 - Salt Lake City - UT Zephyr
28 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto
29 - Tempe, AZ - Nita's Hideaway
October
6 - Buffalo, NY - Sideshow Music Hall
7 - Utica, NY - Rock & Roll Preserve
10 - Burlinton, VT - Higher Ground
11 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
12 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
13 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Metropol
15 - State College, PA - Crowbar
16 - Charlottesville, VA - Starr Hill
17 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
18 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
19 - Asheville, NC - Asheville Music Zone
20 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggy's
21-22 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
23 - Gainesville, FL - Brick City Music Hall
24 - Birmingham, AL - Five Points
25 - Dallas, TX - Trees
26 - Austin, TX - Stubb's
27 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Festival
27 - New Orleans, LA - Saenger Theatre
28 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
30 - Knoxville, TN - Blue Cats
31 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
November
1 - Memphis - TBA
2 - Lawrence, KS - TBA
3 - Denver, CO - Fillmore
4 - Flagstaff, AZ - TBA
SnoCore Rock and Icicle Ball tours both set for kick off [February 2002]
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe to top SnoCore Icicle Ball lineup [January 2002]



































