SMARKY PUPPY TENOR SOLO PLUS
The title of the Hunter and Woodward album seemed particularly apposite as the pair, plus Ogawa, tackled a collection of songs sourced from a variety of musical genres, but all given a distinctive twist. Hunter and Woodward were joined by Japanese drummer / percussionist Keita Ogawa, a member of the Snarky Puppy collective and who appeared on “Immigrance”. The links between tonight’s two acts are strong, and the Hunter & Woodward set was introduced by the Pups’ top dog. Woodward sang with Snarky Puppy on their first “Family Dinner” album and her 2015 solo release “’Til They Bang On The Door” was co-produced by Michael League. She has also been part of the all female trio The Goods and has also worked as a jazz big band vocalist. Woodward has released four previous albums and enjoyed a degree of pop success.
This was also apparent in his partnership with the vocalist Lucy Woodward as the pair opened tonight’s show performing songs from their recent album “Music!Music!Music!”. The Ronnie’s show revealed that Hunter is a musician who likes to have fun, a serious musician who doesn’t take himself too seriously. My account of this event can be found as part of my Festival coverage here The young Brits acquitted themselves well but it was the chemistry between Hunter and Previte that was the defining aspect of an excellent and hugely entertaining and enjoyable performance. Hunter was leading a quartet featuring his long term sparring partner Bobby Previte at the drums, the American duo supplemented by two young British horn players, Kieran McLeod (trombone) and Yelfris Valdes (trumpet).
In 2016 I enjoyed a performance by him at Ronnie Scott’s as part of that year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. Hunter’s playing embraces most of the genres that have helped to shape contemporary American music, effortlessly taking in jazz, blues, rock and funk and more. He has been on the scene since the early 1990s and as a bandleader he has recorded prolifically. Hunter is a virtuoso guitarist who on specialises on seven or eight string models, allowing him to play bass and lead guitar simultaneously. They will also be curating their own GroundUP Festival in Mimi Beach, Florida in February 2020, which will feature the Pups alongside many other major jazz names, with leading saxophonist Chris Potter the artist in residence.īefore the Snarkys hit the stage we were to enjoy a set from their friends and label mates Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward. Such has been Snarky Puppy’s success that the band has now started its own GroundUP record label, the choice of name reflecting the hard working, ‘300 gigs a year’ ethic that helped to bring them to this position. The majority of tonight’s material was sourced either from the latest album or its immediate predecessor, 2016’s award winning “Culcha Vulcha”. Snarky Puppy was formed fifteen years ago and “Immigrance” represents the band’s thirteenth album.
No one could accuse this Dog of being tired. This current run of British and Irish shows comes towards the end of the tour, but on the evidence of this performance Snarky Puppy are exhibiting no signs of road weariness. They now play leading rock venues and concert halls rather than pubs and the currently ongoing tour in support of current album “Immigrance” has seen them ‘on the road’ for most of the year, from April to the end of November, criss-crossing the globe and playing dates in North America, Australasia, Japan and Europe. Like Pat Metheny and e.s.t Snarky Puppy have achieved their superstar status via word of mouth, their exciting stage shows becoming the stuff of legend and holding equal appeal to jazz and rock audiences alike. Theirs is a success that, rather like their music, transcends conventional generic descriptions. Since then they have become global stars, building an enormous following via the old fashioned virtues of hard work and almost constant gigging. It had become a source of great regret to me that several years ago I passed up the opportunity of covering the then unknown Snarky Puppy at one of their earliest UK shows at the Hare & Hounds pub in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Snarky Puppy / Charlie Hunter & Lucy WoodwardĪt last! I’ve finally got to enjoy a live show by Snarky Puppy, the acclaimed international collective led by bassist and composer Michael League.
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