Beantown Jazz Festival Spotlight: Snarky Puppy

Like this? Share it:

Snarky Puppy began as a Texas-based group comprised largely of former University of North Texas students. Led by bass player Michael League, the group is ever changing and features almost 30 musicians, sometimes referred to as “The Fam.” The group released their first album, Live at Uncommon Ground, in 2005 and began touring soon after. Up until 2010, when the band released their two-disc record/DVD Tell Your Friends, you could say Snarky Puppy was something of an underground movement, but this release gained them quite a lot of attention. In the late 2000s, the band made the transition from underground to internationally known and critically acclaimed. Snarky Puppy is now based out of New York City.

They have eight recordings out to date, and their music is pretty difficult to define; the easiest term to use is simply “fusion,” but League calls it “jafunkadansion.” They have a lovely balance of improvisation and composition in their music, treating each genre they borrow from – whether it is jazz, funk, rock, soul, or hip hop - with respect and care. It is clear that each member is open-minded and incredibly diverse in their playing. In fact, some of the band’s members have gigs with acts like Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg (or is it Snoop Lion these days?), and Erykah Badu.

These guys work harder than almost any group out there; their touring schedule borders on insanity, with nearly 200 performances planned for 2013 on four different continents; they also advertise themselves as a session band and production team for solo artists to utilize. Snarky Puppy’s intense touring is certainly paying off: the band’s name is becoming more and more common in conversation and they’ve become true celebrities among Berklee students (and even some teachers!) Snarky Puppy isn’t just a group of performers, but rather a group of musicians dedicated to educating the musicians of tomorrow via clinics they teach all over the world.

Make sure you catch Snarky Puppy at the Berklee Performance Center on Sunday, September 29^th at 8:00 pm as part of the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival!