Musician to bring jazz, funk to IU

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe will bring its unique fusion of jazz and funk to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 122 S. Walnut St. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. tonight with the band playing two sets with a short break in-between.\nDenson, the sax-playing front man of Tiny Universe, played in Lenny Kravitz's touring band for five years and appeared on two of Kravitz's records ("Mama Said" and "Are You Gonna Go My Way?"). \nThe band has toured with performers such as Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers and played at Bonnaroo in the summer of 2002, a three-day jam band extravaganza in Manchester, Tenn., which featured performances by artists like Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. \nThe group is widely known in the jam band and jazz communities as a distinctive synthesis of jazz and funk that makes for a memorable, high octane performance.\nJake Rohn of the Union Board said the decision to bring Karl Denson's Tiny Universe to IU was an easy one because of its reputation as a great live band.\n"Karl Denson's Tiny Universe has one of the most critically-acclaimed live shows," Rohn said.\nRohn said he believes the crowd will be a diverse mix of those who follow jam bands and those who appreciate jazz music.\nSophomore James Shanel saw Denson and company at Bonaroo and enjoyed the band's big full sound.\n"I love that big band sound -- the mix of the guitars, keys, trumpets, saxes and a drum beat you could dance to by itself," Shanel said.\nBloomington will be one of the smaller stops on Karl Denson's Tiny Universe's current tour, which will stop at places like the House of Blues in Chicago and the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans.\nRohn said he did not believe getting Denson to come to a relatively small town like Bloomington was a problem because of the city's reputation as one that appreciates the arts, especially music.\nErik Newson, manager of the band, said they keep coming back to Bloomington because of the reception they get from the community.\n"We have been playing Bloomington for several years and we keep coming back because it's such a good time," Newson said. "Everyone has such a good time there."\nTickets are still available at any Ticketmaster location and at the Indiana Memorial Union Activities Desk, located on the first floor of the IMU. Tickets are $16 for students and $20 for non-students.\nFor more information on Karl Denson's Tiny Universe go to www.karldenson.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Pat Donohue at prdonohu@indiana.edu.