Snarky Puppy is a Brooklyn-based "...fusion-influenced jam band..." led by bassist, composer, and producer Michael League. Snarky Puppy combines jazz, rock, and funk and has won three Grammy Awards. Although the group has since included vocalists and has backed singers, League once described Snarky Puppy as "a pop band that improvises a lot, without vocals".
Video Snarky Puppy
History
The band was formed by Michael League in Denton, Texas, in 2004 and comprises "...a wide-ranging assemblage of musicians known affectionately as 'the Fam'...", about 40 players who perform on guitar, bass, keyboards, woodwinds, brass, strings, drums, and percussion. Many band members were students at the University of North Texas. Individual members have performed with Erykah Badu, Marcus Miller, Justin Timberlake, Kirk Franklin, Ari Hoenig, Roy Hargrove, David Crosby, Snoop Dogg, and others. While touring, the band frequently gives clinics, workshops, and master classes throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Snarky Puppy released their debut album, Live at Uncommon Ground (no longer available new), in 2005. Their first four albums were released independently, after which they licensed the albums Tell Your Friends, groundUP, Family Dinner - Volume One, and We Like It Here to Ropeadope Records.
The album We Like It Here was performed and recorded live in October 2013 at the artistic compound Kytopia in Utrecht, Netherlands. It was released in February 2014, debuting at number one on the iTunes Jazz Charts.
On January 26, 2014, Snarky Puppy, with vocalist Lalah Hathaway, won a Grammy Award in the Best R&B Performance category for their rendition of the Brenda Russell song "Something" from Family Dinner - Volume 1.
Sylva (2015), a collaboration with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra on Impulse! Records, debuted on multiple Billboard charts, including number one on the Heatseekers Chart, number one Top Current Jazz Album, and number one Contemporary Jazz Album. In 2016, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
After winning their second Grammy, the group was signed to Universal Music Group's Universal Music Classics label. Their second release on the label, Culcha Vulcha won the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
Snarky Puppy members continue to work individually and collectively outside the band. Members Cory Henry and Robert "Sput" Searight have won Grammy Awards for work outside Snarky Puppy.
In 2016, Stanton and Letteri of Snarky Puppy contributed on Indonesian jazz singer Eva Celia's debut album, And So It Begins.
Maps Snarky Puppy
Awards and honors
- 2014: "Something", Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance
- 2015: Jazz Group of the Year, Down Beat Readers Poll
- 2016: Sylva, Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
- 2017: Culcha Vulcha, Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Discography
- Live at Uncommon Ground (Sitmom, 2005)
- The Only Constant (Sitmom, 2006)
- The World Is Getting Smaller (Sitmom, 2007)
- Bring Us the Bright (Sitmom, 2008)
- Tell Your Friends (Ropeadope, 2010)
- groundUP (GroundUP/Ropeadope, 2012)
- Amkeni w/ Bukuru Celestin (Ropeadope,2013)
- Family Dinner - Volume 1 (GroundUP, Ropeadope, 2013)
- We Like It Here (Ropeadope, 2014)
- Sylva w/ Metropole Orkest (Impulse!, 2015)
- Family Dinner - Volume 2 (GroundUP, Universal Music Classics, 2016)
- Culcha Vulcha (GroundUP, Universal Music Classics, 2016)
- Untitled Project (GroundUP 2018)
Band members
- Michael League - electric & acoustic bass, keyboard bass, keyboards, baritone guitar, nylon-string guitar, ukulele bass, vocals, leader
- Bob Lanzetti - electric guitar, baritone guitar, Hammertone guitar, vocals
- Chris McQueen - electric & acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, vocals
- Mark Lettieri - guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar, vocals
- Bill Laurance - keyboards, piano, theremin, vocals
- Justin Stanton - keyboards, trumpet, flugelhorn, clavinet, vocals
- Shaun Martin - Moog talkboxx, vocoder, keyboards, vocals
- Cory Henry - keyboards, organ, clavinet, vocals
- Bobby Sparks - keyboards, organ
- Mike "Maz" Maher - trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
- Jay Jennings - trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
- Chris Bullock - tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, keyboards,vocals
- Bob Reynolds - tenor saxophone
- Nate Werth - percussion, vocals
- Marcelo Woloski - percussion, vocals
- Keita Ogawa - percussion, drums
- Robert "Sput" Searight - drums, keyboards, vocals
- Larnell Lewis - drums, percussion, vocals
- Jason "J T" Thomas - drums
- Zach Brock - Violin
References
External links
- Official website
- Ropeadope blog entries for Snarky Puppy
Source of article : Wikipedia
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