Snarky Puppy
| Snarky Puppy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Denton, Texas |
| Labels | Ropeadope, Sitmom Records, Impulse! Records |
| Website |
www |
Snarky Puppy is a Brooklyn, New York-based instrumental fusion band led by Grammy Award-winning bassist, composer and producer Michael League. 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.[1]
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. Currently the core touring unit is Michael League, Robert "Sput" Searight, Nate Werth, Shaun Martin, Cory Henry, Justin Stanton, Bill Laurance, Bob Lanzetti, 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, and Belgium.
The band released their debut album, The Only Constant, in 2006. Snarky Puppy's first three albums were released under Sitmom Records.[2] Since their fourth album, Tell Your Friends (2010), the band has been signed to Ropeadope Records.[3][4]
The band's latest album, We Like It Here, was performed and recorded live in October 2013 at the artistic compound Kytopia in the city of Utrecht.[5] 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.[6] On October 25, 2014 the band was signed to Impulse! Records.
Discography
- The Only Constant (2006)
- The World Is Getting Smaller (2007)
- Bring Us the Bright (2008)
- Tell Your Friends (2010)
- groundUP (2012)
- Amkeni w/ Bukuru Celestin (2013)
- Family Dinner - Volume One (2013)
- We Like It Here (2014)
- Sylva w/ The Metropole Orchestra (2015)
- Family Dinner - Volume Two (2015)
Personnel
- Larnell Lewis - Drums
- Robert "Sput" Searight - Drums
- Nate Werth - Percussion
- Marcelo Woloski - Percussion
- Keita Ogawa - Percussion
- Bobby Sparks - Keyboards
- Shaun Martin - Keyboards
- Cory Henry - Keyboards
- Bill Laurance - Keyboards
- Chris McQueen - Guitar
- Bob Lanzetti - Guitar
- Mark Lettieri - Guitar
- Michael League - Bass
- Justin Stanton - Trumpet & Keyboards
- Mike "Maz" Maher - Trumpet
- Jay Jennings - Trumpet
- Chris Bullock - Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
References
- ↑ "Snarky Puppy | Denton". Pegasusnews.com. 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ "Sitmom Records". Joelfountain.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ "Ropeadope". Ropeadope. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ Michal Garcia. "My Denton Music interview: Snarky Puppy’s Mike League". Pegasusnews.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑
- ↑ "Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. Retrieved 2013-12-07.