Snarky Puppy

Snarky Puppy was founded in 2003 at the University of North Texas, when Michael League created the group after being rejected from all official university ensembles. What began as a student project has evolved into a five-time Grammy Award winner and one of the most influential instrumental bands of our time. League describes their sound as a street hybrid, naturally blending jazz sophistication with the energy of funk, rock, and soul.

Over twenty years, approximately forty musicians have passed through the collective nicknamed "The Fam", rotating through the lineup. The group is known for its method of recording directly in front of a live audience wearing headphones in the studio. They also maintain strong ties to the Czech Republic — Michael League studied with Czech pianist Jiří Levíček, and he discovered and purchased Slingerland drum kits for his Spanish studio at a music shop in Opava.

Their latest album Somni, released in November 2025, was created in collaboration with the fifty-member Metropole Orkest. The compositions, inspired by League's life in Spain, feature up to four drummers playing simultaneously. The concert takes place as part of JazzFestBrno.