I’m writing this from the town of Utrecht, just south of Amsterdam, where it’s the third and final day of rehearsing for a 4-day recording session with the instrumental jazzfunkdancefusion band Snarky Puppy.
If you’ve never heard of Snarky Puppy, look them up on YouTube. They have a unique approach to recording albums: a small audience, outfitted in headphones, sits among the musicians during the entire recording. It’s as close as you can get to being one of the guys in the band.
And this band includes 4 keyboard players (covering piano, organ, rhodes and multiple vintage synthesizers), 3 electric guitarists, 2 saxophones, 2 trumpets, 1 drummer, several percussionists, a bass player (also the bandleader), and a string quartet.
We’re in a large warehouse converted to a recording studio and while the film crew works to transform it into a properly-lit environment for the live DVD, the band is learning 12 new songs.
There’s no written music; we’re all off in corners learning parts from demos and then assembling to work each tune out as a group. It’s one of the more challenging and creative environments I’ve ever experienced.
If you happen to be in this neck of the woods and would like to attend one of the 8 live-in-studio recording sessions this Monday-Thursday, I believe there are still some tickets available here.
I’ll definitely alert you when the finished product is done!
Is there anyway I can see bonus footage of we like it here, or I heard there were alternate solo outtakes. I would love to hear those! Also cant stop listening to your solo in “Outlier”. You and Larnell were sharing one mind! Crazy!
Indeed, there are 7 other recorded takes of Outlier (and many of the other songs) that didn’t make the record. I’m sure Mike chose the best take all-around. There may be some extra footage on the DVD but I’m not entirely sure.