Episode 11: Karl Denson

Today’s guest is Karl Denson, saxophonist with The Rolling Stones since 2014, when he stepped into the role made legendary by the late, great Bobby Keys.

Rooted in jazz improvisation and deep funk traditions, Karl earned a reputation as an esteemed double threat: a highly gifted musician equally confident leading from the front as elevating from within a group as an indispensable sideman. From the late 1980s he toured extensively with Lenny Kravitz, before helping establish The Greyboy Allstars and later fronting Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, projects that helped re-energise groove-based music for a new generation.

In this episode, Karl charts the path from early professional breaks to sharing stadium stages around the world. He discusses adapting to different musical environments, balancing leadership with support roles, and the discipline required to sustain decades on the road. He reflects on the experience of joining an established institution, interpreting parts that audiences know by heart, and developing trust within a group operating at the highest level. He shares memories of Charlie Watts and their shared appreciation of jazz, and discusses how watching Mick Jagger night after night has subtly informed his own approach as a frontman.

Karl offers an insight into life inside one of rock’s most enduring live acts, and what it really takes to hold down the horn chair in the biggest band in the world.

Follow Karl on Instagram.

Lip Service is produced and presented by Simon Harper.

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