Empire central / Snarky Puppy.
Material type:
MusicPublisher number: GUM093022SPCD | GroundUp MusicPublisher: [Brooklyn, NY] : GroundUp Music, [2022]Description: 2 audio discs (1:41:21) ; 4 3/4 inContent type: - performed music
- audio
- audio disc
- Produced by Michael League. Co-produced by Snarky Puppy.
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult CD
|
Main Library | CD | JAZZ Snarky Puppy | Available | 33111009975620 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
An homage to their Dallas-area musical roots, 2022's Empire Central is one of Snarky Puppy's most enjoyable and accessible albums to date. Recorded live in-studio at Dallas' Deep Ellum Art Company with an audience in attendance, the album finds them digging into their jazz, funk, and R&B influences. The Grammy-winning, multi-member ensemble led by bassist Michael League initially emerged from the University of North Texas and quickly established themselves as a leading crossover jazz band on the Dallas and international music scene. Empire Central showcases the group's longstanding knack for crafting groove-based instrumental tracks rife with hooky melodies, sophisticated arrangements, and exploratory improvisations. Much of the album evokes the infectious '70s fusion of band's like Weather Report and the Brecker Brothers, but it's also incredibly funky. Particularly compelling here is "Take It!," a juicy, late-'70s-style jam in the Parliament/Funkadelic and Crusaders-tradition featuring iconic Dallas keyboardist Bernard Wright. Sadly, Wright died in a car accident soon after the recording and his wiry synth lines are pure magic here, pushing the song to ever-more cosmic heights. The track also features a fat-toned solo from trumpeter Jay Jennings that brings to mind CTI-era Freddie Hubbard. Similarly, "Bet" contrasts a wicked duo bass and guitar riff with jazzy flutes and tenor saxophonist Bob Reynold's knotty post-bop improvisational lines. There's a travelog quality to Empire Central with songs like "East Bay," "Broken Arrow," and "Belmont," that seem to conjure the vibe of the Texas locations they are named after. There's even "Mean Green," a wicked soul-funk number with crunchy electric guitars off-set by burnished horns and spacy keyboard accents that are clearly inspired by the North Texas University football team of the band's alma mater. With Empire Central, Snarky Puppy transform the Dallas music and culture that inspired them into a tangible listening experience. ~ Matt Collar
Title from disc label.
Produced by Michael League. Co-produced by Snarky Puppy.
Snarky Puppy.
Recorded and filmed March 3-10, 2022, at Estudi Vint in Els Prats de Rei, Catalonia, Spain.
Disc 1. Keep it on your mind (5:30) ; East Bay (5:11) ; Bet (5:33) ; Cliroy (4:45) ; Take it! (feat. Bernard Wright) (6:39) ; Portal (5:12) ; Broken arrow (7:19) ; RL's (9:23) -- Disc 2. Mean green (4:55) ; Fuel city (4:52) ; Free fall (3:50) ; Belmont (6:28) ; Pineapple (4:56) ; Honiara (6:50) ; Coney bear (5:16) ; Trinity (7:55).
Snarky Puppy has built a loyal following with their adventurous blend of jazz, rock and funk based around a heavy touring schedule and live-in-studio video content. A rotating roster of some of the most talented musicians and multi-instrumentalists makes for a truly unique sound within the jazz fusion world. Their new live-in-studio audio album, Empire Central, is a love letter to Dallas, representing Snarky Puppy returning to their funk, gospel roots.