Michael League

Bass, Composer, Bandleader

Michael League is a 5-time Grammy^® Award-winning, 5-time nominated producer and musician based out of Catalonia, Spain. He is the creator and bandleader of instrumental music ensemble Snarky Puppy and world music group Bokanté, founder of the record label and music curation source GroundUP Music, and artistic director of the GroundUP Music Festival.

Michael attended the University of North Texas' jazz studies program for 4 years, then moved to nearby Dallas for another 3 years, where he worked with some of the most influential figures in modern gospel, R&B, and soul music, and was mentored by legendary keyboardist Bernard Wright (Miles Davis, Chaka Khan) before moving to Brooklyn, New York, in 2009, where he spent 9 years, then relocated to his current home of Catalonia, Spain. As an instrumentalist and producer, he has worked with a diverse range of artists in pop (Laura Mvula, Lalah Hathaway, Joe Walsh, Michael McDonald, Rufus Wainwright), folk (David Crosby, Chris Thile), gospel (Kirk Franklin, Walter Hawkins, Marvin Sapp, Israel Houghton, Myron Butler), jazz (Terence Blanchard, Esperanza Spalding, Joshua Redman, Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter), electronic (Squarepusher, Daedelus, Tokimonsta), and world music (Salif Keïta, Eliades Ochoa of the Buena Vista Social Club, Fatoumata Diawara, Bassekou Kouyate, Susana Baca, Kardeş Türküler, Väsen).

As a sophomore in college, Michael formed the instrumental ensemble Snarky Puppy. As producer, primary composer and bandleader for the group over the last fifteen years, he has earned three Grammy awards and played over 1500 concerts on six continents. In 2016, he started the band Bokanté. Blending influence from blues, rock, Caribbean, and West African styles, the group includes an all-star cast of musicians from 5 different continents. Bokanté spent 2017 touring around the world in support of their debut album, Strange Circles. Their second album, What Heat, a collaboration with the Metropole Orkest under the baton of Jules Buckley, was released in fall of 2018 and nominated for “Best World Music Album” in the 2020 Grammy Awards.

GroundUP Music, formed in 2011, has expanded from independent record label (home to albums from David Crosby, Charlie Hunter, Becca Stevens, Cory Henry, Banda Magda, and many more) to live event curation, launching the annual GroundUP Music Festival in 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. It has played host to artists like Béla Fleck, Esperanza Spalding, Andrew Bird, The Wood Brothers, Robert Glasper, Concha Buika, Terence Blanchard, Joshua Redman, Jacob Collier, Tank and the Bangas, Chris Thile, Knower, and Pedrito Martinez, among many others.

Michael is passionately committed to music education and outreach, having given clinics and masterclasses at over 200 schools around the world. In 2020, alongside GroundUP Music Festival Director Paul Lehr, Michael formed the GroundUP Music Foundation, which seeks to advance music education incentives throughout the world. He is active as a guest speaker in international music business panels and works regularly with non-profit organizations in an effort to better serve the community at large through the arts.

Bill Laurance

Keyboards

Bill Laurance is a five-time Grammy Award winning pianist, composer and performer. He has worked professionally for 22 years, performing all over the world and an original member of Snarky Puppy.

His nine albums, including the latest solo album Affinity, all hit the top of the UK and US iTunes Jazz charts. He has recently released his first duo album with Michael League Where You Wish You Were.

Laurance was a 2018 participant of the Sundance Institute Film Music and Sound Design Lab, taking place at Skywalker Sound in California. His debut feature film score was for Un Traductor (2018), an independent drama by directing brothers Sebastián and Rodrigo Barriuso which was named as Cuba's official entry for the 92nd Academy Awards. Laurance also wrote several themes for Initials S.G. (2019), a film for which co-director and writer Rania Attieh won the 2019 Nora Ephron award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Laurance has also worked alongside Marcus Eaton as composer for the 2019 documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name, receiving multiple nominations including best music film at the 2020 Grammy awards.

Beyond film, Laurance has writen a double cello concerto for the Metropole Orkest, premiered at the 2023 cello bienalle in Amsterdam and is featured as a co writter with artists such as David Crosby's Your own Ride (Here if listen, 2018) and Julian Lennon Gaia (Jude, 2020). Other collaborations include work with prestigious dance componies and coreographers, Alvin Ailey, Mathew Bourne, Hope Boykin and Northern Ballet Theatre, and has produced music for commercials for clients including Apple Mac, Sky Broadband, Nokia, Investec, Hewlett Packard, and Rigby & Peller.

Laurance is a passionate educator and continues to give clinics and masterclasses at institutions all over the world and is a member of industrial advisory board at the university of Leeds, U.K.

Collaborations include:

David Crosby, Morcheeba, Salif Keita, Jacob Collier, Lalah Hathaway, Susana Baca, Laura Mvula, Musiq Soul Child, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Carlos Malta, The WDR and The Metropole Orchestra.

Laurance is a champion of cutting edge keyboard developments and is endorsed by:

Yamaha Pianos, Yamaha Reface, Fender Rhodes, Expressiv E, Roli Seaboard, Dave Smith, Moog, Mellotron, Korg, Nord, MXR, Arp Odyssey, Sound Brenner and Native Instruments.

Bobby Sparks II

Keyboards

Corsicana, Texas born SPARKK CHILD, Bobby Sparks II, is a multi-talented Artist, Musician & Producer who boasts a long list of career accomplishments. Bobby has recorded with and travelled the world sharing stages with Prince, Tower of Power, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Nelly Furtado, Marcus Miller, Kirk Franklin, St. Vincent and a host of other notable artists and celebrities. Bobby is an original member of Snarky Puppy, a 10-time Grammy Award winner and his influence on music and personalities is far reaching.

Justin Stanton

Trumpet, Keyboards

From Tennessee to Texas to New York to Lisbon, 5 times Grammy Award-winning Justin Stanton has allowed the infinite opportunities found in the world of music to lead him across the globe. As a trumpet player, keyboardist, composer, and producer, Justin has developed a reputation as a multi-faceted musician who can serve an essential role to whichever artist he is contributing, both onstage and in the studio.

Justin attended the prestigious University of North Texas, where he performed for two years in the One O'Clock Lab Band, recording three albums as well as performing at major festivals throughout Europe. While at North Texas, Justin joined Snarky Puppy and has appeared on the majority of their numerous studio and live recordings since 2007.

In addition to Snarky Puppy, Justin maintains an active schedule performing, recording, and writing with a variety of original artists and groups, including his newest project with Becca Stevens, Gisela João, Louis Cato, and Michael League entitled Mirrors. Recorded over two weeks in Portugal amidst the many challenges presented during the pandemic, each person co-wrote a song with one another, yielding ten songs that are personal to the respective pair of songwriters yet are all unified through the collaborative co-production and recording process.
​
Justin appears on recordings with artists as diverse as David Crosby, Donald Fagen, Harry Shearer/Derek Smalls, Larry Carlton, Randy Brecker, Robert Glasper, Trombone Shorty, Kirk Franklin, Laura Mvula, and Salif Keita. He has also shared the stage with Joe Walsh, Michael McDonald, Toto, Derek Trucks, Terence Blanchard, Chris Potter, Eric Harland, and Fatoumata Diawara, to name a few.

Justin resides in Lisbon, Portugal, and is in constant demand for his ability as a multi-instrumentalist, knowledge of synthesis and sound design, familiarity with a broad spectrum of musical realms, and abundant creative energy.

Other solo releases from Justin include Secret Place, his genre-sweeping debut record of all-original material, and his exploration into Flor Peeters's 35 Miniatures for Organ on a host of classic synthesizers.

Shaun Martin

Keyboards

Artist, producer, songwriter, performer and multiple GRAMMY® Award winner, Shaun Martin is carving his space in the annals of musical history.

Shaun is widely known for his work with Kirk Franklin, and Snarky Puppy, while leaving his creative stamp on projects with musical legends Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, Tasha Page Lockhart and God’s Property just to name a few. Most recently, Shaun unveiled his genius to us all in his first solo projects - Seven Summers, Focus, and Three-O ft Mike Mitchell and Matthew Ramsey.

Having written, arranged, produced and played the keyboards on all albums, alongside musicians and vocalists from his hometown, Dallas, Texas - we meet the musical genius of Shaun Martin. Shaun’s prodigious gifting noticed and nurtured at an early age led him to begin playing the drums and piano at four years old and his mother placing him under the tutelage of Carolyn Campbell, who taught him to read and write music. At age five he was already playing the piano and organ at church. Later, he learned to play trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn and flute.

As a music major at the University of North Texas, he joined fellow student musicians to add his special brand of creativity to Snarky Puppy, an award-winning, chart-topping jazz fusion band - committed to music performance and education. In an effort to give back to the community that shaped the very depth, dimension, and dynamics of his sensational sound, Shaun plans to one day create a fine arts academy and after-school program for urban students who have little access to music education and training. Shaun is currently working with various artists and music producers on a plethora of projects, and is the owner of Shaun Martin Music, LLC (formerly Shunwun Music) - all while living his creativity.

He is married to Monica Wilson Martin and they have one son, Harlem.

Bob Lanzetti

Guitar

Bob Lanzetti is a Brooklyn, NY based professional guitarist, composer, producer, and educator. He has performed and recorded with many artists throughout the NYC area as well as played in over 40 countries with the multi GRAMMY Award Winning jazz/funk collective, Snarky Puppy.

Originally from New Jersey, Bob moved to Denton, TX in 2000 to study jazz guitar at the University of North Texas. In addition to his studies he was fortunate enough to get involved in the thriving R&B and Gospel music scene in the DFW area as well as meet the musicians who would go on to form the core of Snarky Puppy.

As a member of Snarky Puppy Bob has had the opportunity to contribute as a writer, arranger, and guitarist, playing on every recorded release and performing all over the world. The Pups have earned five GRAMMY Awards to date. Best R&B Performance in 2014 (“Something” featuring Lalah Hathaway), and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2023 (Sylva with Metropole Orkest, Culcha Vulcha, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and Empire Central, respectively).

Since 2006 Bob has been residing in Brooklyn, NY. There he has become an in-demand session guitarist sharing the stage and recording with many artists including Tommy Sims, Jerry Granelli, Robben Ford, Bokanté, Michelle Willis, Becca Stevens, Cory Henry, Ghost-Note (Robert “Sput” Searight/Nate Werth), Lucy Woodward, Musiq Soulchild, Bilal, Banda Magda, Underground System, and many more.

As a composer/artist Bob writes, records, produces, and performs his own original compositions with his quartet. His debut record, Whose Feet are These That are Walking, was released, to positive reviews, in September 2017. In 2020 Bob had the opportunity to compose an original score for the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, for Alamo Drafthouse’s annual film festival, Fantastic Fest.

As an educator Bob teaches music and guitar out of his Brooklyn studio, has given clinics around the world, and has worked in outreach programs through Carnegie Hall for underprivileged teens to write, record, and perform their own original music.

Bob uses Fodera Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Supro amps, DʼAddario strings and accessories, J. Rockett Audio Design Pedals, MXR Effects, and Fralin Blues Special pickups

Mark Lettieri

Guitar

Mark Lettieri is a five-time GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, composer, producer, and instructor based in Fort Worth, TX. He creates acclaimed guitar-based instrumental music, and is a member of leading instrumental bands Snarky Puppy and The Fearless Flyers. As a session musician proficient in a multitude of styles, he has recorded and performed in virtually every genre of popular music with both independent and major-label artists.

Playing in the vibrant Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex gospel and R&B scene led Lettieri to join Snarky Puppy in 2008, after first appearing on the album Bring Us The Bright. He contributes as a writer, arranger, session player, and touring member, working on the majority of the band’s recorded output, as well as participating in numerous international tours.

Lettieri has released seven albums as a leader: Knows (2011), Futurefun (2013), Spark and Echo (2016) Deep: The Baritone Sessions in (2019), Things of That Nature (2019), Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2 (2021), and Fly Through It (EP, 2022). Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2 earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, giving Lettieri his first nomination as a solo artist. He tours this material internationally with his quartet, the Mark Lettieri Group.

In 2018, Lettieri helped form The Fearless Flyers, with Cory Wong, Nate Smith, and Joe Dart. The Vulfpeck-adjacent quartet has four releases to date: The Fearless Flyers (2018), The Fearless Flyers II (2019), Tailwinds (2020), Live at Madison Square Garden (2021), and The Fearless Flyers III (2022).

As a sideman, Lettieri has performed and/or recorded with a myriad of artists including Erykah Badu, David Crosby, Kirk Franklin, The Jacksons, Fred Hammond, Tori Kelly, 50 Cent, Ledisi, Tamela Mann, Lecrae, Lupe Fiasco, Keyshia Cole, Xzibit, Anthony Evans, Phillip Phillips, Nelly, Chrisette Michele, Myron Butler, and even alongside comedians Dave Chappelle and Harry Shearer.

In addition to his recording and performing career, Lettieri is involved with the development and demonstration of various musical equipment with a number of brands. In recent years, he has teamed up with Paul Reed Smith Guitars to create his signature model Fiore electric guitar, the MeLody overdrive pedal with J. Rockett Audio Designs, and the NewWave chorus pedal with Jackson Audio. Lettieri has also collaborated with Apple, Inc. to create a package of downloadable guitar loops for the digital audio workstations Logic Pro and Garageband.

As an instructor, Lettieri has released online guitar instructional courses through outlets such as JamPlay, Brett Papa, Guitareo, and Soundslice, as well as print lessons available from Premier Guitar Magazine.

On a personal note, Lettieri was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, and came to Texas via Texas Christian University (TCU). An avid lover of food, travel, and doing his best to keep an active lifestyle, he resides with his wife, daughter, three cats, and a hamster.

Chris McQueen

Guitar

Chris McQueen has been playing, writing, and recording music since 1994. Along with Henry Hey he co-leads the explorative, groove-oriented instrumental band Forq, which has released four albums, and he has an acoustic guitar duo project with Matt Read that released its debut Western Theatre and is preparing a second album. He is an original and current member of 5-time Grammy winning band Snarky Puppy and Grammy-nominated world music group Bokanté, as well as a frequent member of Banda Magda. He has performed with Lucy Woodward, Lizz Wright, Nikka Costa, Myron Butler & Levi, and Alejandro Escovedo. He has been featured in several rock musicals, including David Bowie’s Lazarus at New York Theater Workshop (featuring Michael C. Hall) and The Rocky Horror Show at The Dallas Theater Center.

Chris grew up in Austin, TX and started playing guitar and recording songs on a 4-track Tascam around age 10. At 13 he joined RedHeaded Stepchild, a western swing kid band, and started gigging around Austin and learning how to solo from bandmate and guitar prodigy Will Knaak. This interest in improvisation led to a fascination with jazz; he joined and composed for the Westlake High School jazz band, and attended the University of North Texas to study with Fred Hamilton. In 2005-2006 he played in the One O’Clock Lab Band and wrote the piece “Foe Destroyer”, which was recorded for the band's Lab 2006 album.

Chris remained in the Dallas area for four years after college, co-leading the rock band Oso Closo with singer/songwriter Adrian Hulet, and studying music with Bernard Wright and other members of the Dallas R&B/jazz/Gospel scene. Oso Closo performed on stage in The Who’s Tommy at the Dallas Theater Center and released two albums. After Oso Closo broke up, Chris and fellow band member Danny Garcia joined with singer/songwriter Cade Sadler to form the rock band Foe Destroyer. Foe Destroyer created an eponymous album, toured for several years, and performed on stage in Dallas and NYC in the musical Fly By Night.

In recent years Chris has expanded beyond guitar playing to focus on music arranging, mobile app building and video editing. He writes frequently for string quartet, big band, and horn/string sections. He co-arranged a piece on the Grammy-winning album Sylva by Snarky Puppy with the Metropole Orchestra. He has transcribed and engraved sheet music for Snarky Puppy, Bill Laurance, and his own groups, and he created arrangements and MainStage sounds for the musical Bunkerville. He has created two iPhone apps: Guitar Note Atlas, which helps guitar players visualize the guitar neck, and Set App for creating and sharing set lists. And he has edited and directed music videos for Forq and the Read/McQueen guitar duo.

Chris lives in Austin, TX with his wife Erin and their twin baby girls.

Mike "Maz" Maher

Trumpet

Mike ‘Maz’ Maher is a trumpeter, singer, songwriter and educator. He has been a dedicated member of Snarky Puppy since the band’s inception and has written four songs for the group (Skate U, Sleeper, While We're Young, and Pineapple). As a freelance trumpeter and singer he has performed/recorded with the likes of Soulive, Diane Birch, Laila Biali, Lucy Woodward, Banda Magda, Myron Butler & Levi, Andrew Rose Gregory (of the Gregory brothers), George Porter Jr., Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis, and many others.

In 2009 Mike started his own group, and since then has released three recordings (Maz in 2012, Idealist in 2016, and Maz Flips the Script in 2018) and toured the U.S. and abroad as well as regularly playing in New York City.

In addition to writing songs for his own group, Mike has written for, or co-written with various artists including Alina Engibaryan (lyrics for We Are, Pulse of the Day, The New You, Little Girl, and There Is a Place from her album We Are, 2018), Justin Stanton (lyrics and melodies for his song Automatic Attraction on the album Secret Place, 2019), and Jordan Peters (lyrics for Étude for Humanity from his album Dreams, 2021). He also frequently records trumpet and vocals from his home studio for many artists and commercial projects.

Mike has been a dedicated teacher for many years, fulfilling guest artist engagements with Berklee College of Music, the Amsterdam Conservatory, and high schools all around the U.S.

In 2017 Mike began his training in the Alexander Technique at the Balance Arts Center in New York City. He has already begun teaching private lessons in the Alexander Technique both online and in person and will be a AmSAT certified teacher very soon. He has found the technique to be an incredible tool in improving the connection and use of mind and body, and his training in A.T. finds its way into all aspects of his teaching and performance.

Jay Jennings

Trumpet

Jay Jennings has been a member of Snarky Puppy since 2004. Before meeting his Snarky family at the University of North Texas, Jay grew up in the small town of Grapevine, TX. He was lucky to have a piano in the house growing up, which he considers his introduction to music education. Jennings started playing the trumpet at age 11, and by 15 he was already playing professionally. In high school he was selected to the Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble both sophomore and senior years and was selected for the High School Grammy Jazz Ensemble, which performed at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA. Jennings auditioned as a college freshman and was selected for a jazz soloist chair in the world renowned One O'clock Lab Band at UNT. When he was 22 he joined the Dallas based, symphonic rock band The Polyphonic Spree. He recorded and toured with them until moving to Brooklyn, NY in 2009. Jennings eventually began touring with capital records artist Eli "Paperboy" Reed in 2010 and over his career has backed up some of the world's finest artists such as Aretha Franklin, Michael McDonald, David Crosby, David Bowie, Lalah Hathaway, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Lee Fields, Bobby Rush, Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap), The O'Jays, Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, The Four Tops, and many more. Currently, Jay is touring with country music star Toby Keith and is currently living in Los Angeles, CA.  He continues to record and tour with the Grammy Award winning band, Snarky Puppy.

Upon his move to Los Angeles in February of 2017, Jennings began composing for his own band, The YAYennings Quartet.  This marks the beginning of Jay’s solo career as a band leader.  The bebop driven quartet began during the Snarky Puppy recording session for Culcha Vulcha in 2016.  Jennings and fellow Snarky Puppy band mate, Bob Reynolds(tenor), spent much of the session’s “off time” jamming in a room with a grand piano playing duets.  After realizing they share a similar interest in early 1950’s west coast bebop, Jay started composing for his own band.  Jay called upon his west coast UNT alumni Jose Perez (Pancho Sanchez, Bokanté) on drums and Ross Schodek (Pancho Sanchez) on bass to be the back bone in the “chordless” quartet.  The YAYennings Quartet album “Scott Ave” will be released in February of 2019.  Jay Jennings is a member of the Yamaha artist family and proudly plays Yamaha trumpets.

Chris Bullock

Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet

Chris Bullock is a New York City based saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He's had a distinguished career performing with a plethora of artists across all musical styles, most notably being a long-time member and composer of the genre-bending ensemble Snarky Puppy. With the Pup’s, he has been awarded five Grammys and frequently travels performing at the major concert halls and music festivals around the world.

Chris's musical journey started as a child when he discovered the Beach Boys, hip-hop, four track cassette recorders and instruments such as the clarinet and electric guitar - all of which continue to inform his musical voice even today. In 2018 he released his debut solo album Boomtown: a hybrid of improvisation, jazz, chamber music, electronic music and hip hop production elements. With his Boomtown band he has toured across the US and Canada bringing a groovy, synth heavy ensemble that includes some of the musical leaders of his generation.

Over his career Chris has collaborated on numerous projects and performances with artists like David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Lalah Hathaway, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Charlie Hunter, Chris Thile, Robertinho Silva, Metropole Orkest, Phish, & Soulive. He was recently commissioned to write and record his first film score for Aelita – a vintage, silent, early sci-fi film, that was released as an album.

Education has also been an important part of his professional life: teaching masterclasses at universities, colleges, and high schools globally. He holds music degrees from East Carolina University and Michigan State University plus studied at the University of North Texas. He currently endorses Yamaha Saxophones & Boston Sax Shop reeds & accessories.

Bob Reynolds

Saxophone

Bob Reynolds is a saxophonist, composer, educator, and 3-time Grammy-winning member of Snarky Puppy. Several of his 11 solo albums have made Billboard’s Top 10 Jazz charts. His original music showcases a melodic improvisational style, tuneful songwriting, and, as the LA Times put it, “hip-swiveling” grooves.

Often recognized for his work with Snarky and John Mayer, he’s been a featured soloist with Grammy-winning instrumentalists Larry Carlton, Jeff Lorber, and Chris Botti. He's worked with a wide array of pop artists including Michael Bublé, The 1975, Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, USHER, and others.

Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Reynolds grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where he started playing saxophone at age 13. Although he listened to a range of music as a kid, by his late teens he was a dedicated jazz student. After high school, he honed his skills at Boston's Berklee College of Music, mentored by George Garzone, Hal Crook, and others.

A pioneer in online music education, Bob founded his innovative Virtual Studio in 2010. Since then he's coached thousands of musicians in over 30 countries. Bob lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He shares insights on balancing a music career with raising a family to over 90,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

http://bobreynoldsmusic.com

Zach Brock

Violin

Violinist Zach Brock is a sought-after soloist, educator, and sideman, as well as a multi Grammy Award-winning member of the band Snarky Puppy. Born to a musical family in Lexington, KY, he began studying violin at the age of four and performing publicly by the age of six. Zach’s improvisational skills were honed in the rich Chicago jazz scene while studying classical violin at Northwestern University. He released his debut album, Zach Brock & The Coffee Achievers, in 2003. Two years and two records later he was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall by trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas. Zach joined the band of legendary bassist Stanley Clarke in 2007 and that same year he and his wife, filmmaker Erin Harper, relocated to Brooklyn. From 2010 to 2012 Zach led a chord-less trio of violin, bass and drums called The Magic Number and since 2012 he has released three albums on Criss Cross Jazz, as well as two co-led projects with renowned pianist Phil Markowitz. In 2017 Zach formed a new “chord-less” trio with Matt Ulery and Jon Deitemyer. Their collective 2019 album Wonderment garnered rave reviews and inclusion in the “Best of 2019” lists by Downbeat and Jazziz Magazines.

Zach is most widely recognized through his fifteen years of touring and recording with the genre-bending supergroup Snarky Puppy. He first recorded with them in 2008 on Bring Us The Bright and has appeared on seven subsequent recordings that include the 2017 Grammy Award-winning album Culcha Vulcha, 2019’s Immigrance, the 2021 Grammy Award-winning Live At The Royal Albert Hall, and the 2023 Grammy-award winning album Empire Central (to which he contributed the song “Honiara”). A passionate educator, Zach has coached hundreds of musicians through the workshops of Jamey Aebersold and Mike Block, masterclasses at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and Carnegie Hall in New York, and as a five-year “Artist In Residence” at Temple University in Philadelphia. 

Zach remains a perennial coffee fanatic and skateboard enthusiast, and currently lives with his wife and daughters in the NYC area. His eleventh solo album, the Grammy-nominated Dirty Mindz, was released in June 2022 on GroundUP Records.

Nate Werth

Percussion

As the undeniable secret weapon of Snarky Puppy, Nate Werth is both rooted in tradition and constantly innovating in the percussion world. His creative approach to sonic possibilities and rhythmic interplay has been integral to the sound of the group, and has earned the respect and support of percussion big-wigs like LP founder Martin Cohen. Performing and recording credits include Myron Butler & Levi, The Lee Boys, Jovino Santos Neto, Michael Spiro, Eric Krasno's Chapter 2, and many more. Having studied Indian, African, and Latin American traditions extensively abroad, Nate brings a unique sound palette to every musical environment. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA

Marcelo Woloski

Percussion/Drums

Representing South-America in the Snarky Puppy family, multi-Grammy winning percussionist Marcelo Woloski has been a member of the band since 2011. With an impressive body of work, Marcelo has contributed three original compositions to the group, namely Palermo, Bardis, and Portal, which have been widely acclaimed.

Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marcelo was born into a family of musicians, which exposed him to a diverse range of musical genres from an early age. He began playing drums at the age of three and later transitioned from playing in local rock bands to mastering jazz and Latin American Music, under the tutelage of renowned mentors such as Facundo Guevara, Mario Gusso, and Sergio Krakovsky, among others.

In his twenties, Marcelo moved to Boston to pursue his studies at Berklee College of Music, where he honed his compositional and percussion skills, under the guidance of the legendary Jamey Haddad. Later, he relocated to New York City to pursue his passion for music, where he became a significant player in the vibrant music scene. It was then that he also started composing his own music, combining the influences of his childhood with the sounds of the city in his debut solo album Mundo Por Conocer, released in 2018.

Marcelo's great musicality and unique voice, coupled with his innovative approach to every instrument and genre he plays, have earned him a reputation as a standout performer. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Most Creative Percussionist award in 2020 by Sala Musik and Percussionist of the Year 2017 by Bateristica Magazine, in addition to several Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. In 2017, the City Legislature declared him a Distinguished Personality of the culture of the City of Buenos Aires.

Marcelo has collaborated with a diverse array of artists such as Ruben Blades, Susana Baca, Edmar Castaneda, Paquito D´Rivera, Banda Magda, Becca Stevens, Salif Keita, Alfredo Rodriguez, and Marta Gomez. He has also had the privilege of sharing the stage with an impressive roster of talented musicians, including Jacob Collier, Laura Mvula, Lalah Hathaway, Hamilton De Holanda, Carlos Malta, and Roberta Sá, among others.

Woloski's latest musical endeavor includes co-founding and co-producing Quiet Colors with Polish singer-pianist Joanna Kucharczyk. A musical project that blends two distinct cultures and styles. Together, they create a unique blend of music that showcases Marcelo's rich landscapes of layered percussion and Joanna's soulful singing, accompanied by her delicate piano playing.

Marcelo is endorsed by Latin Percussion, Evans, Vic Firth, Woodpack, Cincinnati Washboards, Requena, SM Percussion, Cosmos Maracas, Woodpack and DEM'sticks.

To learn more about Marcelo Woloski, please visit his website at www.marcelowoloski.com

Keita Ogawa

Percussion/Drums

www.keitaogawa.com

Hailing originally from Nagasaki, Japan, Keita Ogawa is a multi Grammy nominated and Grammy Award winning percussionist and drummer.  His versatility and style make him one of the most sought after in New York City.

Keita started his music career on drums at the age of 15. After performing regularly in Tokyo for several years, he decided to pursue his musical studies overseas. He was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in fall of 2005, where he studied with legendary musicians and educators Manuel “Egui” Castrillo, Jamey Haddad, Tito De Gracia, David Rosado, and Mark Walker. Seeking full immersion into the world of Brazilian percussion,

Keita relocated to Rio de Janeiro for 3 months and studied with the some of the country's most respected musicians - Jorginho do Pandeiro, Celsinho Silva, Kiko Freitas, and Marcio Bahia among others. 

Since his arrival in America, Keita has worked with some of the biggest names in modern music including Yo-Yo-Ma, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Assad Brothers, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Clarice Assad, Jaques Morelenbaum, Osvaldo Golijov, Les Nubians, Charlie Hunter, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and more.

In 2017 He became the Ambassador of Tourism of his Hometown, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan who presented him in 2022 with a Civic Honor Award.  In addition to being a member of Snarky Puppy, he also plays with Bokanté and Banda Magda.

He is endorsed by Canopus Drum, Meinl Percussion, Meinl Cymbal, Vic Firth, Evans Drumhead, Cooperman Company, Dem Sticks, Parka Percussion and Decora 43.  Keita can play virtually any percussion instrument and musical style with fluency and unparalleled musicality. Keita's passion for crossing musical borders and uniting differences in cultures is a rare talent, which he exhibits with a smile and an open heart.

Jamison Ross

Drums

Jamison Ross is a GRAMMY-nominated Soul artist whose music emanates from the intersection of R&B, gospel, and blues supported by modern production – contemporary Soul. Jamison’s most recent project, “JAMO” is his first Affective Music release and is influenced by some of history’s greatest Soul singers, including Marvin Gaye, Rance Allen, and Al Green.

A native of Jacksonville, FL, Jamison honed his talent studying at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, before attending Florida State University and then on to the University of New Orleans, where he earned a Master of Music. Shortly after graduating, Jamison released his debut album, Jamison (2015), earning his first GRAMMY nomination.

In 2019, Jamison and business partner, David S. Hargrett founded Affective Music, a Soul music-focused record label and management company dedicated to defining the sound of Soul for this era. Later that year, the label released Mykal Kilgore’s debut single, Let Me Go, produced by Jamison, earning his second GRAMMY nomination.

Jamison won his first Grammy Award in February 2023 as a member of the Fusion Super Band, “Snarky Puppy”. Ross Joined the Multi award winning ensemble in 2016, recording and touring regularly, with documentation on “Snarky Puppy Live in Rio”, “Family Dinner Volume 2”, as well as “Immigrance”.

Jamison’s unique ability to marry smooth vocal melodies with soulful production is sure to take audiences on a listening experience like never before. In the current state of music, Jamison Ross is a refreshing treat to true music lovers.

Larnell Lewis

Drums

LARNELL LEWIS is a GRAMMY Award winning musician, composer, producer, and educator. A Toronto native, Larnell has quickly established himself as one of the most diverse and in-demand drummers currently on the music scene. Along with his long-standing position behind the drums in Snarky Puppy, Larnell has led many highly successful groups of his own and toured the globe with some of the most well known names in music, including Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Lisa Fisher, Kurt Elling, Gary Burton, and more.

Larnell’s immense talent, fierce creativity, and continually evolving musical style is what has kept him at the top of the list as a musical collaborator for artists across the globe. In June 2018, Larnell released his highly anticipated debut album “In The Moment,” which featured ten original compositions in a variety of musical styles. His vast talents not just as a musician but as a producer also landed him the opportunity to act as Musical Director for a performance during the Toronto International Film Festival’s premiere of the critically-acclaimed documentary of Quincy Jones, “QUINCY”, (directed by Rashida Jones & Al Hicks), where he led performances from the likes of Yebba Smith, Mark Ronson, and Chaka Khan.

Among his many accolades, including the 2004 Oscar Peterson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music (Humber College), Larnell was named as the fourth recipient of the Toronto Arts Foundation’s “Emerging Jazz Award” (2017), which is a $10,000 cash prize intended to support the creation of a project that features original compositions from each recipient.

Larnell’s talents can be seen worldwide via his various social media platforms, which have a combined total of over 100,000 followers. His reach to fans and musicians of all generations is proof that he not only possesses undeniable talent, but a spirit unlike any other that excites, inspires, and encourages music fans of all ages to further explore their musical tastes and the follow him on the road he has paved for himself.

Larnell Lewis is endorsed by Yamaha Drums, Zildjian, Promark, Evans, D’Addario, and Latin Percussion.

www.larnelllewismusic.com

Follow @LarnellLewisMusic on FB/IN/YT & @Larnell_Lewis on Twitter

Jason "JT" Thomas

Drums

JT is a 5-time Grammy Award winning drummer hailing from Weatherford Tx. Known for his ability to authentically adapt to whatever genre/style of music he’s put in. An original member of the late great Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, JT has also been highly sought after by artists such as Fred Hammond, CeCe Winans, Marcus Miller, Mark Lettieri, FORQ, & Phillip Phillips to name a few. His high level of preparation for each artist he works with, along with being a consummate professional on and off stage, is what continues to keep him very busy all year round. JT is proudly endorsed/sponsored by Yamaha Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Low Boy Beaters, Big Fat Snare Drum, Vic Firth, Evans Drumheads, and MatTea Inc.

Michael Harrison

Sound Engineer

Native of Scotland, Mike initially met Snarky Puppy during their inaugural UK/European tour whilst performing at the popular venue Stereo.  Prior to this, Mike spent a number of years working with various production companies and engineering at numerous UK festivals, events & venues. Early touring included many activities with groups on the Scottish traditional music circuit; and subsequently touring with popular Scottish artists such as Kassidy & Emeli Sande.  In addition to his work with Snarky Puppy, recent years have seen Mike working extensively with a diverse variety of artists & musical lineups including Bill Laurance Group, Forq, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, KNOWER, Bokanté, and Elipsis on tours across Europe, Australasia, Africa & the Americas; and numerous collaborative productions between Snarky/Bokanté & the Metropole Orkest in the Netherlands. 

When not touring he also runs his own company, E H Sound Ltd, from Glasgow. Whilst his business partner John focuses on his love of Theatre Sound & dramatic productions, Mike continues to work with current Glasgow-based artists such as Charlotte Marshall & The 45s, Unoma Okudo, Esperanza, Starry Skies, and others.

Matt Recchia

Sound Engineer

Matthew Recchia (Rexx) is a live sound engineer and stage manager currently residing in Woodstock, GA. Recchia began his career in Athens, GA with an internship learning lights and sound at The Melting Point, before attaining a full-time position at The Georgia Theatre following graduation from University of Georgia’s business school. 

Beginning in the summer of 2011, Recchia toured with indie-rock band Futurebirds around the United States before jumping on with Snarky Puppy in 2013. Recchia has also toured with side projects of the band like Ghost Note, Bill Laurance, and Bokante. 

When not on tour, Recchia works as a Rigging Programmer and Dim Tech with IATSE 479 in Atlanta's movie scene.

Crook Stewart

Tour Manager

A native of Panama City, Florida, Crook performed in his own bands for 10 years and has travelled the world in his position as Tour Manager for over 33 years and has probably worked for more Rock and Roll Hall of fame members than anyone in the business.  Those artists include: Crosby Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Art Garfunkel and The Rolling Stones.

He and his wife Victoria have a private music venue in Panama City, FL affectionally called The Ghetto Palace, that has hosted house concerts from artists from all over the US and abroad and open jams for musicians both from the surrounding area and from as far away as Atlanta and Central Florida. They also founded Music Matters in downtown Panama City 9 years ago and believe it was an important first step in the revitalization of our downtown.

Mantra: Common Sense, It’s Not That Common.

Rosanna Freedman

Production Manager

From London UK, Rosanna first began working with the band while managing award winning music and arts venue Band on the Wall in Manchester. Her background in the live music industry has been in working with international artists in venues and at festivals, spanning the genres from jazz through to heavy metal. Along with being production manager for Snarky Puppy internationally, she is also fulfills that role for the annual GroundUp Music Festival in Miami. Rosanna was the Production Manager on the Grammy winning albums, Live at The Royal Albert Hall and Empire Central.

She also works with other artists as a Tour Manager in the EU and worldwide.

Mason Davis

Drum and Percussion Technician

Mason began studying Afro-Cuban and West African percussion at an early age, which blossomed into a deep appreciation for the music of various cultures from around the world. He later went on to get degree in classical and jazz performance and after college went on to play in a variety of musical projects around the Southeastern United States.

Being familiar with all types of drum and percussion gear, he quickly began a secondary career as a “Drum Doctor” in Athens, Ga. This quickly became a passion and in fall of 2014 he became the touring Drum and Percussion Technician for the band. He resides in the Atlanta, GA. area and when not touring enjoys a studio of private students and a variety of gigs in his local area and beyond.