The Concert by Snarky Puppy

Snarky Puppy the band was formed by Micheal League in the year 2004 in Denton, Taxes. They are currently based in Brooklyn and have several awards under their belt including the most sort after Grammy Award which they have carried three times. The band initially started as an instrumental only band but over time they have incorporated vocalists and back ground vocalists. They specialize in Jazz Fusion which is a blend of rock, funk and jazz.

The band performed several instrumental only song from their Albums, occasionally they played the instrumentals together and also took turns in each instrumental player showing off their prowess. The rhythm embellishment of the Bass guitar, the guitar, keyboards, trumpet, saxophone and drums was magical to the ears and sends chills to the listener making the experience more enjoyable. Time really flew by very fast and each piece left one wanting more.  The tone quality of the drummer is not rough and has continuous start and stop sequences which does not leave the listener off balance. The saxophone has a toned-down feel projecting a more solemn mood.

The Audience totally fell in love with the Puppy’s irregardless of the fact that they are not pop stars but just instrumentalists. Clapping, small screams here and there and stand innovations showed the audience really appreciates and liked the pieces performed. More often Cheering would come at the end of the song, and the begging of the songs and at times mid-way the song only when the instruments were more fascinating to listen to either as a blend or as a single instrument.

Being a lover of cool jazz and having attended several concerts before, the only difference I would say, was the lack of lyrics for the listeners to sing along to, but everything else was pretty much the same. The enthusiasm of the Audience and thirst for more music was evident with the end of each song. The band is quite unique and makes a point of making the listener enjoy the mellow instrumental for a considerable amount of time, without boredom making the music more captivating. They perform with a lot of ease making his music easy to follow and hard to get lost in the instrumentation.

Snarky Puppy is an instrumental only band and they performed several pieces but their ability to seamlessly blend in and synchronize the instruments and not get lost in between really stood out and generally we can say they are all well-seasoned in their area of specialization.

Out of the pieces the Puppy’s played, I chose to describe the style of piece number one and number two, the first one which they call their new song which was composed in 2013 which is the year of the concert, was the most captivating, it starts with a blend of guitar, saxophone and the trumpet before the drums join in giving the piece a Mexican melody, soon the stage is left to the trumpet and the drums giving it a cool jazz feel. The harmony of all the instruments minutes later is felt and at exactly eight minutes into their performance time, the band gets the audience engaged in singing aaahhh….aaaahhh repeatedly which is a good move to ensure the crowed does not zone out and get lost while the continue performing. The piece ends on a rock note being brought out by the saxophone and trumpet. The Puppy’s new song is a refreshing piece that one would like to keep listening to.

The second piece starts on a mellow church like melody which is attributed to the bands history of having performed in churches when they started out. The keyboard player really captivated the audience with his zeal and he really seems to be enjoying himself which gives the rest of the band members the energy they require to execute the piece perfectly. The whole band soon joins in and brings out a fusion of jazz and funk. The drummer, the guitarist and the man behind the keyboard showcase a Caribbean vibe which is more dance like. This piece ends as it started on a mellow note leaving the listeners wanting more.

The concert was clean cut, steady and brought out a straight forward groove. I generally think that the concert was so calm and full of fusions of funk, jazz and rock, hence making it a good choice of a recommendation to any person who is new to Jazz Fusion music.