Karl Denson Trio brings new jazz perspective to Baton Rouge

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By Jason Andreasen

On Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Varsity Theatre, famed jazzman Karl Denson will be showcasing his new venture, The Karl Denson Trio (KD3), alongside Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. KD3’s stop in Baton Rouge is in support of their critically acclaimed debut album, Lunar Orbit.

Denson is as well known in jazz and jam band circles for his work with the Greyboy Allstars as he is known in rock circles for his work with Lenny Kravitz. He is a tenor saxophonist, a flautist, a vocalist and a true pioneer of contemporary jazz.

“I feel fully connected to the jazz tradition, you know,” Denson said during a phone interview. “I’m trying to stretch the boundaries a little bit, trying to make something that is melodic and memorable in a jazz context.”

The synthesis of jazz and funk has always been central to Denson’s musical leanings, whether it is on solo projects, a Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe album (another project of Denson’s), or the newly formed KD3. Having just recently released Lunar Orbit, the tradition has clearly been upheld.

Lunar Orbit is not your father’s jazz to be sure. While the souls of jazz’s forefathers are sitting right over Denson’s shoulders, he’s taking them on a ride around the moon and back, allowing the lack of gravity to take both the listener and the notes where they will. Each of the 10 tracks is distinct in its own way, forcing your toes to tap, your head to bob and your mind to follow Denson and his band mates.

The album’s complexity is a product of Denson’s intense love for song composition.

“It’s the most important thing to me. I’m more of a writer; the improvising should supplement the composition of a song,” Denson explained. “I just wrote all these songs in the last year, so I’m still having a blast playing everything. Right now, I’m super-analyzing all the songs to really get the most out of them as an improviser.”

When asked about jazz’s current condition, Denson, rather than spit venom on how people don’t appreciate jazz as an art form, remains calm and actually sounds excited.

“I think it’s underestimated. I think the spirit of jazz is really spread out over a lot of music, you know,” Denson thought out loud. “I think a lot of what happened with hip-hop over the last 15 years has to do with a love of jazz and kind of that spirit of innovation. I think the ‘jam band scene’ has a lot of great jazz being overlooked.”

Denson has had strong ties to the jam band community for years, which he is very proud of.

“That’s my audience. They’re savvy enough to listen to me and be able to listen to The String Cheese Incident or The Grateful Dead,” said Denson. “It’s an open-minded audience, and as a result, they’re getting a great reward because there are some really great musicians who are choosing an alternate path. I think it’s really important in the history of music,” he said proudly.

While Denson confesses he hopes one day to work with the likes of jazz heavyweights (Herbie Hancock) and relative newcomers (The Benevento/Russo Duo) alike, right now, he’s having a blast playing and fronting KD3, alongside Anthony Smith on keyboards and Jake Najor on drums, .

“Live music is my thing, you know,” Denson said with reserved passion. “The Trio was a way for me to simplify things, to do something smaller. On stage, it’s about the music. It’s a pretty relaxed setting; we’re not trying to jump around. A trio setting takes a lot of concentration,” Denson said.

The relaxed atmosphere that Denson promises from a KD3 show aside, you will not be sitting still during the show. The deep grooves on Lunar Orbit’s title track alone are enough to make you move. The undeniable danceable funk of all three “Ghetto Fireworks” tracks will keep you up. Denson’s flute seems hypnotizing on “That Other Thing” and is both relaxing and entrancing until Smith’s keys take over. While there may be breaks for you to catch your breath (“Won’t Somebody”), the letup surely won’t last long.

“I’m still trying to make it funky and fun to dance to,” Denson said.

For more information on the Karl Denson Trio (and a free listen of “Lunar Orbit” and “Ghetto Fireworks, Part 1"), you can visit his MySpace page at MySpace.com/TheKarlDensonTrio. The show at the Varsity Theatre starts at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased at The Chimes for $16 or at VarsityTheatre.com.

E-mail the author at JasonAndreasen@tigerweekly.com

Originally Published: Issue 583 - October 17, 2007

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