Jeff, in the podcast "Snarky Puppy Transmissions from Deep Ellum" Michael League explained how he has modified his normal process, encouraging other band members to write and produce songs. This album gives more musicians more credit than any other SP project that I can remember. The results speak for themselves.

So when I see them at Ground Up on Feb 4th, Mark Lettieri likely won't be on stage with them...that's the possible bad news...but that's because of the good news...The Mark Lettieri Group is also playing that day! But who knows he may double gig!

I don’t know if you’ve ever done Skate U. It is from their first live recording session. I think from around 2010. I saw the video around 2011. I was hooked at that moment.

Jeff - I agree it's their best overall album. I don't think Mike is concerned about writing a barn burner anymore like Lingus. He can just always pull that out at the end of a show to give the audience what they want. Mike said they don't usually do a shuffle but he decided to write one to honor a bar they went to in Dallas, and holy shit, did they kill it. Great review!

larnell adds so much when he is following a solo. such a great active listener with the ability to match it. how he can do so much without at all becoming the focus and "being aware of his activity" is incredible. larnell is so good at drums he convinced me to stop. id rather just listen to the greats

SP continues to ratchet up their game with each new release!!! The transitions are so intricate and smooth. Man, this one very cool piece of music. Awesome!!

I can not think of another band that surprises me, keeps me listening to the same trac repeatedly and hearing something new, and blows my mind in my 75 years of living. This holds for their instrumental only performances as well as their Family Dinners. I sometimes entertain myself with wondering who be a great artist to record with Snarky Puppy on a Family Dinner. My dream performer, STING. Any thoughts?

There definitely is a distinctive Snarky Puppy formula, and yet they manage to always make it feel fresh. Love this tune!

Carrying the Steely Dan torch...!!

Stevie Ray is definitely smiling down... and playing air guitar on this tune! Thanks again Jeff!

Mark Lettieri dude has that legatto/arpeggiatto of 3 notes going up or down in his solos. He does it @5:45 (as an example). You'll hear that in most of his solos. Grown up Live is another great example of that, he does a few of them in succession in his extended solo, really tasty stuff! This band is too good.

I especially love the transition at the 6:29 mark. To me, it sounds like it introduces an almost fusion "Phantom of the Opera" feel. Darkly beautiful.

I can only subscribe every single word you said. It´s of course snarkypuppyesk music, and it´s like always giving goosebumps, even in a warm room. To say it with Nietzsche: There is a distinctive will to groove, and nothing can stop them from doing so. And what I as a guy, who learned playing piano during the times, when jazz musicians mostly thought, that they would have to be the fastest of all (what then often killed the music for me) love the most is, that everything in Snarky Puppy´s music goes back to times, when jazz was pure communication. I mean, not one of them seems to have the need to push himself into the fore, they play as a team, and that is soooo wonderful. Their music should be played in radio rotations, and heck, I am sure, a lot of people would start to understand, what is good music. Thanks, Jeff!

I swear, Bobby was born for the Clavinet

Jeff - I've seen videos of them playing it on tour. They crank the shit out it - much faster. Love this tune.

I saw them last summer at Chastain and it is such a treat to hear great musicians play. I’ve had goosebumps in few concerts SRV, Earth Wind and Fire, Steely Dan and these guys. Every song is a journey, a voyage and an adventure. You think you know where they’re going but they surprise you each change and progression. FRESH! Precise! New every time.

Thanks, Jeff. So invigorating! I love when the chord choices are so unexpected.

I didn't like this one at first, but now it's stuck in my head. Great tune.

I saw them play RL's live last Saturday, and this song is amazing with a few thousand people in the crowd exchanging energy with the band. I see it being a set-closer for years to come.

This thing is so majestic! They played this in the Berlin concert too and with less personnel but not lacking in complexity and power! They open up so much breathing space for your heart and soul and cater the richness of positive human spirits. Oops, I got taken away a little... btw . the last solo by Mike so reminds me of Steely Dan solos by Larry Carlton.

An audience full of nonmusicians. Because we know the brilliance of that piece and would applaud accordingly.

movies definitely come to mind when listening to snarky puppy

Thank you Jeff, that was fun to see you groove and love the same 😊 But the best album … for me is still „We like it here“, because of so many little things … We were last year at a SP concert in Cologne, where Michael thanked the audience a few times, that they are so patient to listen to all the new stuff 😄 Guess cause he knows that everyone waits for some of the old track and I was really happy about a few 🌞 It was the best of the (three) concerts we were last year 🤩. The others were Dirty Loops, unfortunately the sound at the location was not good, that was too bad. The same at Jordan Rakei, that was really sad. Especially as his support - Olivia Dean - came brilliantly and super clear. And she was great, I didn‘t know her before (big voice/vibrato/stage presence). Thank you for sharing your instant thoughts and feelings 🌞

As someone who grew up on Texas blues (Johnny Winter, Freddie King, ZZ Top, SRV), to hear Snarky do a Texas shuffle like this is such a treat.... these guys are just "at a whole 'nother level". Saw them play 3 nights in a row in Miami Beach earlier this month (played 12 of the 16 tunes from Empire Central), and just killed it every night.

It still amazing me on how that band like no other I have ever seen, 3 drummers. And you cannot tell that there are 3 people who are on 3 full deterrent kits. just blows my mind. the composition and arrangement is just beyond me. This is the stuff you can only seen in a full orchestra and conductor driving the whole train down the music track. Open the dictionary and find the word "Elite" and find Snarky Puppy. I am not kidding. we need to find a venue and get that 100 + players and You lol be truly see what they can do. WTF wow Snarky Puppy ft. You 😄✌👍

Ayyyyy, Snarkyyyy!!! 🕺🏻

i think we cant talk about “best thing they’ve done”, i think we ca say that they evolve every time in something new still keeping their “snarkypuppying”. they are the music now

Love it

You have to dod Bill Laurance's "Money in the Desert" from his album a few years back. You'll love it!

The last section of this song reminds me of I Want You (She’s So Heavy) from Abbey Road. Would have been cool if they’d done a similar abrupt ending! What a bunch of BAMFs!!

You talked about "mind-boggling"... check out the YT video Bob Reynolds just posted on 2/27 "Inside the Making of Snarky Puppy's Grammy-Winning Album: Empire Central". THAT is truly mind-boggling!

And speaking of Mark Lettieri Jeff...look what I shot Saturday: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbV7Y9R9q9CvfXk.html

Hi man, just in case you don't know, BabyMetal released the third single "METAL KINGDOM" audio only, check it out while is hot.🦊🤘🔥

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o792Z9CglsDJZ30.html from a different musical starting point but many of the same things going on here back in the 1990s in Ireland.

Next time do pineapple from the same album