Empire Central

Empire Central was recorded live in front of a studio audience over the course of eight days at Deep Ellum Art Company, a converted venue space in Dallas, Texas. The album is an homage to Dallas's rich history of black music. Despite Snarky Puppy originating at University of North Texas in Denton, 30 miles away from Dallas, bandleader Michael League cited Dallas's gospel and R&B scene as what solidified the band's distinct sound. League named Dallas-based musicians Erykah Badu, RC Williams, Roy Hargrove (who partially inspired the track name "Cliroy"), Kirk Franklin, and Jason Moran as influences for the album. Tracks on the album that allude to Dallas and Texas include "RL's", referring to South Dallas nightclub R.L.'s Blues Palace #2, League credits Steely Dan as one of Snarky Puppy's largest influences, describing touring with them as "a dream". == Composition ==

Empire Central draws influence from a variety of genres, including jazz, funk, blues, R&B, gospel, and hard rock. ==Critical reception==

Empire Central was met with largely positive reviews. At Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 75 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". AllMusic's Matt Collar called Empire Central "one of Snarky Puppy's most enjoyable and accessible albums to date," writing that it showcases "the group's longstanding knack for crafting groove-based instrumental tracks rife with hooky melodies, sophisticated arrangements, and exploratory improvisations." He assigned the album an AllMusic Album Pick. ==Track listing==

Writer credits adapted from Glide Magazine and GroundUP Music. ==Personnel==

Adapted from Snarky Puppy on YouTube. • Michael League – electric bass (2 – 10, 12 – 16), Minimoog Model D bass (1, 11) • Bob Lanzetti – electric guitar • Mark Lettieri – electric guitar, baritone guitar (1) • Chris McQueen – electric guitar • Justin Stanton – Wurlitzer/Prophet 10/Minimoog Model D (1, 2, 4, 8 – 10, 12, 14 – 16), trumpet (1, 4, 7, 8, 16), Fender Rhodes Mark 8 (3, 11, 13), Yamaha CP70 (5, 6, 11, 13) • Bobby Sparks – Hammond B3 organ, ARP String Ensemble, Minimoog Model D, Hohner D6 Clavinet (all tracks) • Shaun Martin – talkbox, vocoder, Moog Little Phatty, Korg Kronos, Mellotron (2 – 5, 7, 9 – 16), Fender Rhodes Mark 8 (1, 6), Hammond B3 organ (8) • Bill Laurance – Fender Rhodes Mark 8/Yamaha CP70/Minimoog Model D (2 – 5, 7 – 10, 12, 14 – 16), Mellotron (6), Prophet 10 (11), Hohner D6 Clavinet (1, 13), Expressive Osmose (15) • Bernard Wright – Wurlitzer/Prophet 10/Minimoog Model D (6) • Zach Brock – violin • Mike "Maz" Maher – trumpet, flugelhorn • Jay Jennings – trumpet, flugelhorn • Chris Bullock – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet (4, 10, 16), flute, piccolo (3), soprano saxophone (6) • Bob Reynolds – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone • Nate Werth – percussion • Keita Ogawa – percussion • Marcelo Woloski – percussion • Jason "JT" Thomas – drum set • Larnell Lewis – drum set, finger cymbals (4) • Jamison Ross – drum set ==References==