Summer Meltdown 2012: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, All Photos by Lindsey Bluher

Sometimes festivals are so concerned with having bands on a bill that are supposed to be the “Next Big Thing” that there’s no sense of depth to a weekend of music. No one can say that Summer Meltdown has that problem – throughout each day of music, festival goers will listen to bands from varying backgrounds in terms of longevity. Some bands may have only formed within the past few years, while others have decades worth of performances under their belts. Friday night closed with the help of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, a band which has had the sort of longevity found only in the funk and soul community.

Denson’s personal history as a performer will leave you in awe – the funk sax and flute player has played with Lenny Kravitz, The Greyboy Allstars, and Blackalicious just to name a handful. When you watch Denson and his troop of über talented musicians, you feel as if you’re dancing at a jazz club in another decade. It’s timeless music meant to move your feet, and in this setting with the horns shouting into the wilderness, Denson ignited our Friday night at Meltdown. And any band that pays tribute to the late, great MCA with a jazz version of a Beastie Boys song gets a vote of approval from this Meltdown attendee.