Snarky Puppy kicks off 2014 Purdue Jazz Festival

West Lafayette, Ind. – The Purdue Jazz Festival will kick off with Snarky Puppy Jan. 17 at Purdue University's Loeb Playhouse. The 8 p.m. performance is presented by Purdue Convocations.

A musical collective with more than 25 members in regular rotation, Snarky Puppy mixes together jazz, funk, rock, pop, and world music influences with finesse. Conceived at the highly regarded jazz program at the University of North Texas and held together by award-winning bassist, composer, and producer Michael League, the now Brooklyn-based group brings together musicians from different cultures and traditions - jazz and rock kids and gospel/R&B kids.

Collectively, its members have performed alongside Erykah Badu, Yo-Yo Ma, Justin Timberlake, Tower of Power, Snoop Dogg, Kirk Franklin, Marcus Miller, Q-Tip, the Polyphonic Spree, Morcheeba, and more. In Snarky Puppy's own music, magnum-opus movements boast endless twists, turns, and surprises. It's an alluring combination - jafunkadansion being among the band members' words for their fresh take on creative music filled with sensitive dynamics, lyrical melodies, soulful simplicity, and, most importantly, high-level composition and improvisation.

Snarky Puppy was recently nominated for a Grammy for the song "Something," from the album "Family Dinner" featuring Lalah Hathaway.

This performance will be Purdue Convocations' annual contribution to the Purdue Jazz Festival, a Purdue University Bands event that brings more than 2,500 middle school and high school students to campus for clinics and concerts with noted jazz artists and clinicians. See details at http://www.purdue.edu/bands/jazzfest/index.php

Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for those 18 and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Group discounts are also available to groups of 10 more. Call 765-496-1977 for more details or visit http://www.convocations.org/group-sales/

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations was one of the first professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 20-30 performances of widely varying genres. Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media. 

Contact: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, 765-494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu 

Note to Journalists: Photos are available at http://www.convocations.org/press