An updated tour list is available at pfunkarchive.com

-P-Funk Tour List-


Karl Denson's Tiny Universe



Review 08/29/99
From: Mike Evans

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, featuring Fred Wesley                        

The Zephyr Club, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 29, 1999                    

"Breakin' bread with my mama -- breakin' bread with my brother -- breakin'
bread with my sister -- breakin' bread with my cousins... " Well, you get 
the idea... Fred Wesley was singing about love. He was deep into the last 
set, and pretty far in the song already when Karl Denson moved his own    
microphone over to where Fred was, so we could hear him singing out front.
Funny thing though, we'd had NO trouble hearing Fred's trombone all night.

Karl Denson's "Tiny Universe" band puts out a big ol' sound on its own.   
For the next ten days they, and their fans, are blessed with the good     
fortune to have Fred Wesley on stage with them. If you haven't heard about
it yet, well, you're not alone, but you're hearin' about it now! This is a
call to action for Uncle Jam's Army -- getcher booty outta mothballs and  
see them if you can!                                                      

Let me tell you a little about Karl Denson and his group first. Chris     
Stillwell holds a steady groove on bass. Craig Dawson is a fast,          
high-endurance drummer who loves to work a funky downbeat into the mix.   
David Vieth fills stage left with his Hammond B3 Organ and Fender Rhodes  
piano. He throws down a syncopated solo now and then, but mostly whips up 
rich, malted milk textures. Brian Jordan seems to have endless            
possibilities at his fingertips for rhythm and lead guitar strokes. He's  
like a painter with sound, and has a rich pallette of colors with which to
play.                                                                     

The horns, THE HORNS! Front and center, ladies and gentlemen, the horns!  
Carlos Washington plays trumpet, and usually pairs up with just a single  
sax or flute. He coaxes a full tone from his instrument, plus he's able to
match speed with whatever reed or woodwind is next to him. Karl Denson is 
the man in the middle, taking it right to the audience on tenor sax, alto 
sax, or flute. Karl and Carlos sing well too, and if this reviewer could  
remember their chants and phrases, this would be a longer review! Those   
two guys moved a lot of air up front with their voices, and seamlessly cut
to their horns.                                                           

I guess they played jazz at first, but the dancing also started right     
away. It was just the Tiny Universe up on the stage for an instrumental   
tune or two. NOBODY stole Maceo's line about two percent jazz, in fact    
Karl Denson didn't say much at all until he introduced Fred Wesley.       

The music took on a whole new vibe. Fred's long, inventive, melody lines  
were a whirlpool of inspiration that spun the Zephyr around. Close to the 
vortex, Karl Denson kept singing and leading. Carlos Washington trumpeted 
on top of the harmonies, and took some of the finest solos of the night.  
That's saying something, because Fred and Karl were HOT. The beat was     
steadier, maybe slower, after Fred appeared. A sensual throb was present, 
that's for sure, no matter what the speed of the music was. The interplay 
of the horns was something magical. Karl went into overdrive, but Fred    
Wesley was already there.                                                 

"David! Are you somebody?" Karl bellowed.                                 

"Damn right I'm somebody!" said David.                                    

Brian started plucking and stroking a Jimmy Nolen-styled lead/rhythm      
guitar figure, and Karl's Tiny Universe channeled the JB's from back in   
the Pre-Funk days. It didn't take them long to bring it up to NOW, and    
Fred was right with them. He's a master of brass. That's all there is to  
it.                                                                       

For over two hours, this ensemble poured inspiration off the stage onto   
the swimming dancers. Karl is a fabulous leader, with stamina to spare for
the late hours. Fred was smiling too when his inspiration came looping    
back in the younger players' sounds and creations. This is where he       
belongs -- up front and out there, and that's where every lover of The    
Funk belongs -- wherever you can hear Fred Wesley perform!                

If you can't make it this time, don't sleep on the chance to see Karl     
Denson. You have my word that there's a party wherever HE'S playing. Looks
like they'll be in Colorado next week, but I heard that they may have     
Chicago and environs on the agenda too.