Urko Dorronsoro Sagasti
Band founder/bassist Michael League: “The guys try to create a new identity for our tunes each time we play them.”
When bassist Michael League was a freshman studying jazz at the University of North Texas in 2004, he formed what has become one of the world’s most versatile jazz-funk-world-jam-fusion groups. The native of Long Beach, California, plucked the band name “Snarky Puppy” from his brother’s discard pile, citing his love of dogs as the reason.
No word on the fate of the brother or his band, but Snarky Puppy has since moved to Brooklyn, New York, and won countless jazz industry nods, as well as Grammy Awards in the jazz, contemporary and R&B categories. It’s a big band sound for an increasingly diverse 21st century, and the band, which performs with nine-12 members, is coming to the Orpheum Theater on May 24 with jazz vocalist Alina Engibarya as opener.
Guitarist Pat Metheny has proclaimed the group “fantastic,” adding another layer of jazz street cred to possibly the best band many people haven’t heard of, but soon will. Isthmus caught up with League just prior to the band’s April departure to Japan for the start of its current tour.
Snarky Puppy represents the confluence of multiple musical styles. Is there an overarching genre in which you slot the band?
It’s definitely a question that gets asked a lot. We’ve never thought of ourselves as a fusion band, but people seem to associate us with the genre. As time goes on, though, the sound of the group is moving toward something else. I’m not sure exactly what to call it, but I feel like we all know what it is.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I find inspiration in many different musical traditions from around the world. Each one teaches me something different. [Tango composer Astor] Piazzolla tells me to wear the emotion on my sleeve. Sufjan Stevens tells me never to show it. Stravinsky tells me to explore the entire universe of harmony. [Malian multi-instrumentalist] Ali Farka Touré tells me that two chords — if that — is all you need. The whole universe of music is constantly offering you food if you’re hungry for it.
Given your complex arrangements, your musicians must work from written scores. This can’t all be improvisation.
The compositions are very detailed, clear and complete. There are sections within them devoted to improvisation, of course, but we improvise in another way. The band is full of wonderful soloists, but my favorite part of improvising is that we do it compositionally. We change the way we play each song every night, without conversation or planning. The guys keep their ears open and try to create a new identity for our tunes each time we play them.
Do you write most of the band’s music? What drives your creative muse?
I think that many people just assume that we write together, but we actually don’t. Our new record, Immigrance, features four different composers and eight new songs. Whoever has a song writes it completely by themselves, and when they bring it into the band it will change in terms of arrangement or production.
Unfortunately, most of my composing is done in the middle of the night, just before recording sessions. It’s horrible to not give the music the time and respect it deserves, but at this point, it’s a necessity. I’m trying to change that soon.
