Michael League Explores New Rhythmic Ground on “Elipsis” with Antonio Sánchez and Pedro Martinez
Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League has just released Elipsis, a six-song collaboration with drummer Antonio Sánchez and vocalist Pedro Martinez. The trio project, which began in New York during the late 2010s, mixes traditions for a refreshing sound.
“An ellipsis is three dots (…); there’s three of us,” League says of the album title. “Also an ellipsis is a grammatical device to signify a continuation of something that’s unknown. Suppose you say, ‘You could come over and…’ – you don’t know what will happen, but you do know it’s a continuation of something. The whole idea behind this band is taking a firmly established musical tradition with deep roots, and trying to continue that tradition in a new and unknown way.”
The group met several times before 2020 and afterward worked remotely to craft songs from their improvisations. With League from America, Sánchez from Mexico, and Martinez from Cuba, the cultural blend is very rhythmic.
“I grew up being told the United States is about strength in diversity,” League states. “Here are three people from three different countries, all on the same continent, with very different musical and cultural traditions, coming together to try to combine the best of what we each have.”
“I contributed these Yoruba chants, Mike created the beautiful harmonies and chords and ideas and melodies, and Antonio came up with great drum patterns from different parts of the world,” Martinez adds. “We needed to send a message about uniting cultures and musical genres. As artists and musicians, we want people to feel they’re in the United States of America, not the Divided States of America.”
Check out “Caminando”:
Elipsis is available now as a digital download from Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other platforms.
Elipsis Track List:
- Obbakoso
- Caminando
- Ariant
- Mi Tambor
- Suuru
- Congo No Calla
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
