Snarky? Bring It On!

How have I missed this group?  Snarky Puppy, a once Denton Texas based, and now Brooklyn NY based collective jam band of roughly 40 outstanding musicians has been putting out amazing music since 2004.  If you enjoy funk, jazz, a solid groove, and the sound of true joy, their sound is for you.  They are led by the amazing bassist, producer and composer, Michael League.

Their first album, "The Only Constant" was released in 2006 on Sitmom records, while many of the band members were still attending North Texas University.  Between 2006 and 2015 seven more recordings were released.  2014 was the band's breakthrough year.  They received their first Grammy nomination and won their first  Grammy for "Best R&B" performance for Something.  JazzTimes named them “Best New Artist” and “Best Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist” in their 2014 Reader’s Poll.

Snarky Puppy is a group of musicians enthusiastically committed to music education and community outreach. Working with groups like ROAM (Roots Of American Music) in inner city Cleveland and the Music Lab at Jefferson Center in Roanoke, as well as giving clinics at hundreds of colleges, high schools, and middle schools worldwide, the band has made a strong commitment to spreading their love of music and positive outlook to a young generation looking for something real to be inspired by.

This year they released, "Sylva" their first recording on a major label, Impulse!.  On this record the band shares the stage, literally as this is a live album, with the Netherlands based Metropole Orkest. This collaboration is not to be missed.  Check out this video of a complete concert featuring Snarky Puppy with Metropole Orkest.

 I love the mosaic of diverse musical styles and sounds brought about by these artists.  While they have 9 recordings to their credit they are still filled with creative ideas.  We can look forward to many years of hearing what these extremely talented Snarky Puppies come up with.