Everywhere Snarky Puppy goes, the mildly curious become the manically converted; quite a feat when you consider that this Texas collective is not easy to define stylistically. At previous gigs, they mixed up their scarily tight grooves with jazz improvisations, but would just as easily incorporate elements of pop, rock, soul and hip-hop. Their past performances also include concerts with the Metropole Orkest. Of the five Grammy Awards that Snarky Puppy managed to pick up, the latest was for their most recent album Empire Central (2022). On this surprisingly accessible record, 19 musicians come and go within a 90-minute listening – all masterfully held together by bassist and bandleader Michael League. Once again, the NN North Sea Jazz audience will have a chance to sample Snarky Puppy's elusive versatility. The best advice for new listeners comes from The New York Times: "Take them for what they are, rather than judge them for what they're not."
