The Bridge

Saxophonist Karl Denson makes no bones about the fact that he plays a funky jazz tailor-made for people to get their groove on--and never more so than on The Bridge, an album that strays far from his jazz roots. Already known for his love affair with funk, both as a solo artist and as a member of the Greyboy Allstars, Denson adds some other interesting nonjazz wrinkles. A strong Afro-beat influence manifests itself in some slamming horn charts and percolating rhythms, particularly on "Elephants" and "Because of Her Beauty." Denson gets soulful on Curtis Mayfield's "Check Out Your Mind," doing a passable job with the vocals (several tunes here feature Denson singing) and embellishing it with sitar and surreal psychedelic production touches. The album also benefits from a hot production job from Erik Newsome, who captures the nearly rock & roll energy and intensity of the KDTU live experience. This is definitely one for the fans who like it when Denson does his high-energy groove thing. --Tad Hendrickson