Snarky Puppy

Snarky Puppy
Background information
Origin Denton, Texas
Genres Jazz fusion, progressive rock
Labels Ropeadope Records, Sitmom Records, Impulse! Records, GroundUP music, Art of Groove(MIG)
Website www.snarkypuppy.com

Snarky Puppy is a Brooklyn, New York-based instrumental fusion band led by bassist, composer and producer Michael League.[1] Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, the band features a collective of nearly 40 musicians, referred to as "The Fam" on their recordings and tours. The musicians perform on a variety of instruments including guitars, pianos, keyboards, woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings. Many of the current and former band members were once students at the University of North Texas.[2]

The band's lineup is often in flux as members routinely perform with other artists such as Erykah Badu, Marcus Miller, Justin Timberlake, Kirk Franklin, Ari Hoenig, Roy Hargrove, Snoop Dogg and others. The core touring unit is Michael League, Robert "Sput" Searight, Nate Werth, Larnell Lewis, Shaun Martin, Cory Henry, Justin Stanton, Bill Laurance, Bob Lanzetti, Chris McQueen, Mark Lettieri, Mike Maher and Chris Bullock. Besides performing in a traditional setting, Snarky Puppy is committed to music education. While touring, the band has held over 100 clinics, workshops, and masterclasses in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Mexico.

The band released their debut album, The Only Constant, in 2006. Snarky Puppy's first three albums were released under Sitmom Records.[3] Since their fourth album, Tell Your Friends (2010), the band has been signed to Ropeadope Records.[4][5]

The band's album, We Like It Here, was performed and recorded live in October 2013 at the artistic compound Kytopia in the city of Utrecht.[6] It was released in February 2014, debuting at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Charts.

On January 26, 2014, Snarky Puppy, along with 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.[1]

On October 25, 2014 the band was signed to Impulse! Records.[7] They released Sylva, a collaboration with the world famous Dutch Metropole Orchestra, on May 26, 2015. It debuted on multiple Billboard charts, including #1 on the Heatseekers Chart, #1 Top Current Jazz Album and #1 Contemporary Jazz Album.[8] On February 15, 2016 the album won the band their second Grammy, this time for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.[9]

Discography

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 "The Making Of Lalah Hathaway And Snarky Puppy's "Something"". The Recording Academy. March 3, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Snarky Puppy | Denton". Pegasusnews.com. 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  3. ↑ "Sitmom Records". Joelfountain.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  4. ↑ "Ropeadope". Ropeadope. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  5. ↑ Michal Garcia. "My Denton Music interview: Snarky Puppy’s Mike League". Pegasusnews.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  6. ↑ Archived June 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "impulse! Sign Snarky Puppy - uDiscover". uDiscover. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  8. ↑ "Jazz Articles: Snarky Puppy Reaches #1 on Multiple Billboard Charts with "Sylva" - By JazzTimes — Jazz Articles". jazztimes.com. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  9. ↑ "2016 Grammy Awards: Complete list of winners and nominees". latimes.com. Retrieved 2016-02-16.

External links


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