2014 Reader Favorites – #5: Michael League

Editor’s Note: At the end of each year, we tally up all the article and video views on No Treble to come up with a list of top 10 most popular bassists. This is entirely based on readership, not on opinions, polls or anything else. Just having some fun.

Michael League

Ever since we featured Michael League (and his band, Snarky Puppy) in May, 2011, he’s been a popular bassist here on No Treble.

Michael’s band has grown in popularity – enormously so – in the years since. In 2014, we interviewed Michael to find out more. That, plus Thomas Milacher’s transcription of Michael’s arrangement of “Continuum” and some killer videos made Michael the #5 most popular on the 2014 Reader Favorites list.

Bass Transcription: Michael League’s “Continuum”

Bass Transcription: Michael League’s “Continuum”

“Continuum” is one of the most well known songs for bass players, and one Thomas Milacher argues is one of the greatest tunes on Jaco Pastorius’s self-titled debut album. When Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League played his own version of it, Thomas had to transcribe it…

From the Ground Up: An Interview with Michael League

From the Ground Up: An Interview with Michael League

When Snarky Puppy snagged the Grammy for Best R&B Performance, it was a victory for independent artists everywhere. Many called the group an underdog but their track “Something,” featuring Lalah Hathaway, is an undeniably phenomenal song. We caught up with League to get his insight on the Grammys, his writing style, We Like It Here, and more…

Cory Henry and Michael League: “Yesterday” and “Looking Out For Me”

Cory Henry and Michael League: “Yesterday” and “Looking Out For Me”

Soul is pouring over in this video of Snarky Puppy members Cory Henry and Michael League playing a workshop at the Escola de Música Luciano Alf in Rio De Janeiro. The duo doesn’t need a drummer to get a fat groove going on the classic Beatles song “Yesterday,” which they later morph into Kirk Franklin’s “Looking Out for Me”…

Snarky Puppy: Lingus

Snarky Puppy: Lingus

“Lingus” was one of the tunes released on Snarky Puppy’s We Like It Here, an album and DVD recorded live in Kytopia Studios in Holland back in 2013. Here’s the group performing that track during this session – one that offers up some incredible, intertwined rhythms and some groovalicious bass…

Snarky Puppy: “What About Me” Live at Berklee Beantown Jazz Fest

Snarky Puppy: “What About Me” Live at Berklee Beantown Jazz Fest

One of the stops on Snarky Puppy’s current world tour was the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival in Boston, on September 27th. Luckily, cameras were rolling. Here’s the band performing “What About Me” at the Festival, from their latest album…

Snarky Puppy Featuring Shayna Steele: Gone Under

Snarky Puppy Featuring Shayna Steele: Gone Under

Snarky Puppy’s live DVD/CD offers a musical diversity like no other. Here’s the band performing “Gone Under” with Shayna Steele. Steele wrote the tune and Snarky Puppy bandleader and bassist Michael League produced and arranged it…

Michael League, Cory Henry, and Nat Townsley: Creepin’

Michael League, Cory Henry, and Nat Townsley: Creepin’

We’ve featured the trio of bassist Michael League, organist Cory Henry and drummer Nathaniel Townsley before (see their performance of “Continuum” after you watch this one). Here they are performing a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Creepin’”. Oh yeah…

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