Karl Denson blows on some of the greatest soul songs of all time as part of the ‘Ray Charles Boogaloo’ he brings to Moe’s Alley on Tuesday.
Through nearly 30 years of playing across a wide swath of musical genres with a host of bands and musicians, saxophonist Karl Denson has earned a well-deserved reputation as an iconic performer.
He’s played alongside the likes of Lenny Kravitz, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Dave Holland, and has electrified dance floors with his own groups the Greyboy Allstars and Tiny Universe.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Denson brings his “Soul Spectacular: A Ray Charles Boogaloo Dance Party” to Moe’s Alley, part of a tour that was born out of a random gig with a friend, after the two found they had a mutual love for the legendary piano player and singer.
“Ray Charles has always been my favorite male voice, and it just happened that a year ago or so Zach Deputy, who’s a good friend, came to San Diego and I sat in with him. He started out his show with a whole Ray Charles thing, and I was like, ‘I didn’t know you could sing like Ray Charles!’” says Denson.
“He’s from Georgia, like Ray Charles, so he has an affinity for him, too. We’ve been talking about doing something like this for a while, and we pulled it together at the last Jazz Fest [in New Orleans], and it was really insane—with Zach playing guitar and sitting in with Tiny Universe, it brought it to a whole other level, it was really a blast, so we decided to continue it.”
For those who have seen the show (or video of it), it’s uncanny how Deputy can at times sound and feel like Charles, but as Denson points out, he’s not simply trying to copy him.
“He’s not mimicking, and from performance to performance he doesn’t do it exactly the same, it’s really pretty amazing.”
Denson looks at these special shows as a way to not only pay tribute to an artist that influenced and inspired him, but also as a way to keep things fresh and fun as a musician who is constantly out on the road performing night after night.
“We tour so much that it’s nice to just change it up every once in a while, for ourselves and for the fans, it’s kind of an in-between records trick. It’s a good thing to do when you’re not promoting a record, you’re just out there and trying to play good music, and it’s fun to just do something off the wall.”
Zach Deputy and The Cosmic Horns will be joining Denson onstage here in Santa Cruz for a concert that promises to feature about half Ray Charles music—favorites such as “Unchain My Heart” and “Busted”—with the other half showcasing Tiny Universe’s material.
While he enjoys tipping his cap to the past—he’s also paid homage to the Rolling Stones and the Beastie Boys on previous tours—Denson also takes inspiration from his contemporaries and up and coming artists that are making waves in the music world today.
“My big crush right now is Corinne Bailey Rae; I would love to do something with her one of these days, I just love her music and her vibe. And I’ve been trying to work with Warren Haynes for years on a record—he’s just so freaking busy I can never get our schedules to match when we’re recording. We play together all the time live, but I’ve yet to get him on one of my records.”
Tiny Universe recently completed recording their next album, which is due out this coming January on Stoopid Records—the label owned by jam band Slightly Stoopid, of which Denson is also now a member.
After almost three decades in the business, Denson still gets excited about new projects and new collaborations.
“We have a new drummer who’s awesome—so we have a lot of new ideas and some new life going on right now.”
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe plays Tue, October 22 at 9pm at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz; $22/$25.
