Snarky Puppy
Snarky Puppy is an American instrumental music collective founded in 2004 in Denton, Texas, by bassist and composer Michael League. The group originated among students at the University of North Texas and gradually developed into a flexible ensemble with an extensive lineup of musicians. The band’s work combines elements of jazz, funk, rock, R&B, and world music and is realized primarily through studio and live projects, often recorded in front of an audience.
Since its beginnings, the group has released a number of albums and projects, including Family Dinner – Volume 1 (2013), Sylva (2015), Culcha Vulcha (2016), and Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2020). The recordings Sylva, Culcha Vulcha, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and Empire Central received Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category; the track Something from the project Family Dinner – Volume 1 received a 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. In total, the band has received five Grammy Awards.
The album Empire Central was released in September 2022 and recorded live in a studio in Dallas. The recording continues the ensemble’s Texas musical roots and received a Grammy Award in 2023.
The current output is represented by the project Somni, announced in 2025 as a collaborative album with Metropole Orkest. The recording was created live in Utrecht, Netherlands, and follows the previous orchestral collaboration Sylva. The material was developed during 2025 and is released on the GroundUP Music label.
Upcoming concerts
About Snarky Puppy
Snarky Puppy is an American instrumental music collective founded in 2004 in Denton, Texas, by bassist and composer Michael League. The group originated among students at the University of North Texas and gradually developed into a flexible ensemble with an extensive lineup of musicians. The band’s work combines elements of jazz, funk, rock, R&B, and world music and is realized primarily through studio and live projects, often recorded in front of an audience.
Since its beginnings, the group has released a number of albums and projects, including Family Dinner – Volume 1 (2013), Sylva (2015), Culcha Vulcha (2016), and Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2020). The recordings Sylva, Culcha Vulcha, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and Empire Central received Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category; the track Something from the project Family Dinner – Volume 1 received a 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. In total, the band has received five Grammy Awards.
The album Empire Central was released in September 2022 and recorded live in a studio in Dallas. The recording continues the ensemble’s Texas musical roots and received a Grammy Award in 2023.
The current output is represented by the project Somni, announced in 2025 as a collaborative album with Metropole Orkest. The recording was created live in Utrecht, Netherlands, and follows the previous orchestral collaboration Sylva. The material was developed during 2025 and is released on the GroundUP Music label.
Gallery
