Karl Denson and Anders Osborne

El Rey Theatre

Los Angeles, Calif.

October 24

Los Angeles’ historic El Rey Theatre, a converted movie house and landmark of art deco architecture, makes the perfect setting for the Ray Charles-inspired Boogaloo dance party that is Karl Denson’s Soul Spectacular tour. This latest installment was the only stop of KDTU’s tour to feature a co-bill with Anders Osborne, which made this night even more special — having not seen these two heavyweights team up since they covered The Rolling Stones’ album, Sticky Fingers, in 2012.

Anders Osborne is one of the most dedicated songwriters and guitar stylists at work today, and his band of amigos brought the heat with an early set. This appearance comes just on the heels of the October release, Peace, the second album Osborne has put out this year, and the band is clearly hitting their stride. They explored themes both light and dark, feeling out the subtleties of an expansive jam space and then rocking out with two guitars led by Anders’ distinct soloing and ringing triple-octave slide work.

Set highlights included an epic “Burning on the Inside,” followed by the feel good reggae of “Sarah Anne,” which featured Cosmic Horns trumpet player, Chris Littlefield. They closed the set with two from “American Patchwork,” “On the Road to Charlie Parker” and a monster version of “Love is Taking its Toll” — which segued halfway through into a reggae-inflected “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” before coming back to the rocking hook for a big finish.

Karl Denson has been delivering his brand of delicious funky soul since the 1980s, and two decades after founding the Greyboy Allstars, the boogaloo revival is still going strong, with countless young jambands emulating the era in American history that gave us The Groove. KDTU is packed with talent, and they could stay in the pocket all night long. Their set included new songs from the upcoming January 2014 release, like the guitar-driven “My Baby Does it For Me,” as well as fan favorites like “The Dual,” a surf music-influenced tune known to dig up the dirt and get nasty.

Soul Spectacular special guest, Georgia native and loop master, Zach Deputy, joined KDTU on stage halfway through the night to “Deputize” the audience with his channeling of Ray Charles’ sweet soul, taking on everything from “What I Say to Unchain My Heart” to a reggaeton version of “I Got a Woman” and a tender “America the Beautiful.”

Crowd favorites included the Beastie Boys cover, “Sure Shot” and an absolutely smokin’ “Ring of Fire” before capping off four hours of great music well after midnight with a cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

Anders Osborne goes on to join Phil Lesh and Friends on the east coast while KDTU are soon to head south, but both groups are scheduled for Jam Cruise, which in its twelfth year, may just be the funkiest voyage yet.