Michael League

Michael League (born April 24, 1984) is an American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the bandleader of instrumental band Snarky Puppy and the international music ensemble Bokanté. He also founded the band Forq with keyboardist Henry Hey, and is also an owner and founder of the record label GroundUP Music. League has won five Grammy Awards.

Early life League was born in California on April 24, 1984. He had an attraction to music from an early age and began playing guitar at 13 years old. He started playing bass at age 17, when he was requested to do so in his senior high school jazz band. He was raised Catholic.

League went on to study jazz at the University of North Texas, then spent three years playing in Dallas's Gospel and R&B scene under the unofficial mentorship of keyboardist Bernard Wright. There he performed with gospel artists like Walter Hawkins, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Myron Butler & Levi, and Israel Houghton, and frequently performed at the Potter's House. Snarky Puppy's 2020 album Live at the Royal Albert Hall, recorded before a sold-out crowd at the historic London venue, won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

League formed the world/blues ensemble Bokanté in 2016, and has produced two albums for the band: Strange Circles, and What Heat. Strange Circles was released on GroundUP Music and What Heat, also a collaboration with Jules Buckley and the Metropole Orkest, was released on September 28, 2018, on Real World Records. In 2019, What Heat was nominated in the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album category.

One number on David Crosby's League-produced Lighthouse album featured Crosby, League, Becca Stevens, and Michelle Willis (with Bill Laurence on piano). The quartet became the Lighthouse Band on Crosby's 2018 Here If You Listen album. The band then toured for six weeks in November and December 2018.

League relocated to Catalonia, Spain in 2020.

Discography

Studio albums Title Year Label So Many Me 2021 GroundUP Music

Collaborative albums

Singles Title Year Label Collaborator(s) "Right Where I Fall" 2021 GroundUP Music — "In Your Mouth" 2021 GroundUP Music — "Botija de mi país" 2024 Portal Sessions Ruben Rada, Julieta Rada, Bill Laurance "MAGIC DANCE" 2025 naive / Waterbaby Music Inc Nate Smith, Lionel Loueke

With Snarky Puppy Title Year Label Live at Uncommon Ground 2005 Ropeadope The Only Constant 2006 Ropeadope The World Is Getting Smaller 2007 Ropeadope Bring Us the Bright 2008 Ropeadope Tell Your Friends 2010 Ropeadope groundUP 2012 GroundUP Music Family Dinner – Volume 1 2013 GroundUP Music Amkeni 2013 Ropeadope We Like It Here 2014 GroundUP Music Family Dinner – Volume 2 2016 GroundUP Music Sylva 2015 GroundUP Music Culcha Vulcha 2016 GroundUP Music Immigrance 2019 GroundUP Music Empire Central 2022 GroundUP Music Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2020 GroundUP Music Live at GroundUP Music Festival 2022 GroundUP Music

Selected production work Michael League has worked as producer or co-producer on 42 albums for artists including:

David Crosby David Crosby, Michelle Willis, Becca Stevens, and Michael League Snarky Puppy (all thirteen albums) Bokanté + Metropole Orkest (conducted by Jules Buckley) Susana Baca Becca Stevens Bill Laurance Forq Lucy Woodward Alison Wedding Malika Tirolien Gisela João

GroundUP Music Festival In 2017, the GroundUP Music Festival, also known as GUMFest, debuted within the grounds of the North Beach Band Shell in North Beach, Miami. The first GroundUP Music Festival was initiated by Andy Hurwitz, directed by Paul Lehr, and artistically directed by Michael League. The festival features performances by Snarky Puppy all three nights, with a line-up curated by League that has featured David Crosby, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, The Wood Brothers, Robert Glasper, Knower, Concha Buika, C4 Trio, Pedrito Martinez, Jojo Mayer + Nerve, Mark Guiliana's Beat Music, John Medeski's Mad Skillet, Charlie Hunter Trio, Laura Mvula, Eliades Ochoa, Esperanza Spalding, Lionel Loueke, Joshua Redman and Terence Blanchard, as well as the full GroundUP Music roster, among others. GroundUP Music Festival, Miami, is now planned as an annual event.