The genre-defying 18-piece band Snarky Puppy releases a new album this fall, and it pays tribute to Dallas and the band’s “musical godfather,” Bernard Wright.
Wright, a funk pioneer originally from Queens, New York, died in May at age 58 after he was hit by a car in Dallas.
Snarky Puppy formed in Denton in 2004 and has several members from Oak Cliff, including drummer Robert Searight II and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Martin.
Their new album, Empire Central, was recorded in front of a live audience over the course of eight nights at Deep Ellum Art Company. Recorded just before Wright’s death, it comes out Sept. 30.
“The songs ended up being a lot more direct and funkier than those on our previous records,” Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League stated in a news release. “I think it reflects the many moods of the city’s scene.”
The band released a single, “Trinity,” off the album last week. A video for the song was shot during the recording session. Watch below.
