Snarky Puppy
We Like It Here

Choices in life are almost always dictated by matters of the heart. Irrational and overwhelming, special precisely because of the unpredictability of their implications, for the singularity (in the mathematical sense) they generate in the Universe, because they express something profound, unfathomable by others, ensuring the uniqueness of our being and ultimately making us human. This rambling, besides the cryptic purpose of boring to death by provoking the physical self-elimination of a respectable part of this crowded madhouse, aims to highlight how even for a musician, above any technical/rational elaboration aspect, the decision across the range from "uau godo come un suino nero dei Nebrodi" (wow I enjoy like a black pig from the Nebrodi) to "A.A.A. testicoli cercansi, avvistati l'ultima volta mentre la Rai spacciava Marzullo" (A.A.A. looking for testicles, last seen while Rai was pushing Marzullo) is primarily dictated by unpredictable, emotional aspects, we could say.
It is in that moment of epiphany that you enjoy life, being born a pitiful mush of muscles and skin, the power you wield every day to shape your existence, reprogram it, redefine it.
This was my first intimate encounter with Snarky Puppy.
To understand who/what we are talking about, as the teacher once taught us (when schools still existed), we must take a look at history: it was back in 2004 when a group of 40 students from the University of North Texas, led by the good Michele Lega (Michael League devoid of any fascist resurgence, I hope no one takes offense), decided to join forces and intentions to play something good. This is the first characteristic aspect worth pausing on: these people make good music, in a universal sense, regardless of taste or the emotions triggered, when you focus and put to rest the wild horse running through you, you feel a lot of quality, and no musician
worthy of this name can resist quality. From that day on, much apprenticeship, lots of live activity but also a fair number of original productions, until making a name for themselves and winning a Grammy in 2014 for the "Best RnB Performance" with "Something" sung by Lalah Hathaway (contained in the album "Family Dinner Volume I"). The next step was this album, "We Like It Here", recorded live in Utrecht over four nights, also in 2014.
It was at this point that our paths crossed, painlessly.
I won't reiterate how ecstatic I was at that moment, instead, I'll try to make sense of it: what genre of music are we talking about? I still haven't figured it out. Next question? No okay, just kidding, let's stop here. I struggle to give a definition that endeavors not to mention every known musical genre (except for Death Trash Tribal Brutal Metal, but I understand if you'll get over it), but if we want to trace them back to a musical movement, we could categorize them under Jazz Fusion. However, there is no shortage of contaminations, from rock to progressive to funk to RnB to world music. And every track skillfully and carefully wants to clarify their concept of contamination: from the oriental-like progression of "Shofukan" which explodes into a compelling brass and voices riff, to the volcanic cadence of "Lingus", to the samba rhythms of "Tio Macaco", to the free funk-rock tamed by the percussion of "Jambone", to the sweet electronic progression of "Sleeper" where Shaun Martin's Talk Box dominates. There's really something for every taste. Actually, for just one taste, that aforementioned pleasure from self-determination and self-expression, which makes us sovereigns of the world even within the four walls of our home. But don't try asking the ice cream man though, he'll just tell you to go to hell.