Icons in the Orbit of Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

So who’s carrying the stank funk buckets of the 70s masters? Who’s casting a cosmic slop worthy of Sly Stone, Slave, The Gap Band, and Funkadelic?

Karl Denson may be a contender.  Maybe it’s his vintage (b. 1956), and journeyman trips around the sun with Lenny Kravitz, Blackalicious, Blind Boys of Alabama, and The Rolling Stones. His has been a career worthy of being called illustrious.

When it came to sculpting the sound for his own joint, you can assume his record crates are loaded with the above iconic classics. Like his 2019 album with the band Tiny Universe suggests, it’s an influence that digs into the dog of his jam I’m Your Biggest Fan like foxtails. While he’s no Sly or George Clinton at the mic, he floats well enough across the groove and offers enough jazzy space in his changes to sink a pocket respectably deep.

For those longing for the otherwise neglected harder edges of 70s funk, Denson is giving them props and abundance they rightfully deserve. Tour Spotify and you’ll find no shortage of classic funk pretenders and dilettantes – particularly those peddling Zapp’s brand of synth clappy disco. Even among the betters in the field – here’s a list of somebody’s idea of the worthier candidates – most are a long way from rising to Denson’s elevation.

When it comes to the hard funk bucket, Denson delivers.