SNAGGLE
Funkified electric jazz
- George Harris, JazzWeekly.com
Based in Toronto, SNAGGLE, under the leadership of 10X Global Music Award winning jazz pianist NICK MACLEAN, is a 6-piece electric-jazz-funk ensemble often described by media as “Canada’s answer to Snarky Puppy”. Sporting an all-original repertoire, the group has a fearlessly muscular yet introspective sound likened to a cross between 'electric-era Miles Davis' and 'Rage Against The Machine'. SNAGGLE's uniquely brash and infectious brand of jazz-funk is a melodically driven sound which incorporates primal groove qualities more commonly associated with pop and rock, swinging their live show from quietly contemplative all the way to explosively fierce - sometimes all within the same tune.
The line-up of players in SNAGGLE includes some of the hottest twenty-somethings on the Toronto scene, representing the next generation of irreverent, boundary-pushing Canadian players standing side-by-side internationally acclaimed veteran trumpet iconoclast BROWNMAN ALI. SNAGGLE has been in high demand in the Canadian jazz circuit, and has been performing regularly in and around the Toronto area since 2012.
In 2013 the band independently released it’s debut, self-titled album featuring compositions by band leader Nick Maclean and bassist Doug Moore. In 2015 the band released an EP project entitled ‘Unexpected Guests’ which was produced in collaboration with three Toronto vocalists: Denielle Bassels, Will Bowes and Mara Nesrallah. After joining the Browntasaurus Records artist roster in June of 2015, SNAGGLE's second full-length studio album ‘The Long Slog' (produced by Brownman Ali) was released in October of 2016 and would soar to the top of college radio charts in Canada and enjoy much international acclaim. A month later, in November of 2016, 'The Long Slog' would also win them 3 Gold Medals at the Global Music Awards in the 'Album', 'Band', and 'Originality' categories. In December of 2016 the group released a Holiday Single entitled 'Christmas Tune', also on Browntasauras Records, which was featured on CBC Radio. In the fall of 2017 the group received a Toronto Independent Music Award for 'Best Jazz Instrumental' and was nominated for an International Independent Music Award in the Jazz/Jam/Funk category.
As well as being a riveting live band, SNAGGLE is deeply committed to their educational outreaches to the community. This has taken the form of jazz improvisation workshops that the group has been bringing to high school music programs across Ontario since 2013.
– 2017 International Independent Music Award nominee
'The Long Slog' for ‘Best Jazz/Funk/Jam'
– 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award
'The Long Slog' winner for ‘Best Jazz Instrumental'
– 2017 AllAboutJazz.com’s ‘download of the day’
for 'Elasticity of Time and Space'
– 2016 3X 'Gold' Global Music Award winner
'The Long Slog' for ‘band’, ‘album’, and ‘creativity/originality’
– 2016 4-star rating on AllAboutJazz.com
for 'The Long Slog'
– 2016 AllAboutJazz.com’s ‘download of the day’
for “Snaggle #7”
– 2016 No.1 on the jazz charts in Kamloops
for 'The Long Slog'
BOOKING: NickMacleanProductions@gmail.com
"Snaggle is... music for the toes, feet and heart."
SET LIST
- The Mule (Nick Maclean) – dark & groovy odyssey
- Little Wanda, Big Future (Nick Maclean) – soulful and groovy
- Ten Thousand Generations (Nick Maclean) – R&B flavoured odyssey
- Arkady (Nick Maclean) – burning tempo mix childlike wonder & chaos
- Twilight of Civilization (Nick Maclean) – dark odd meter lament
- The Zeroth Law (Nick Maclean) – angular & groovy
- Second Foundation (Nick Maclean) – Intense & otherworldly
- Elijah & Gladia (Nick Maclean) – gentle ballad with R&B and hip hop flavours
- Gaia's Call (Nick Maclean) – Brazilian flavours
- Lonely Moon Robot (Nick Maclean) – introspective ballad with R&B flavours
- Theorum (Nick Maclean) – burning tempo, high energy ** VIDEO
- SAW (Nick Maclean) – a mish-mash of dark textures, meters & tempos ** VIDEO
- Lagaan (Nick Maclean) – bright, bouyant & latin-flavoured **
- Sad Ritual (Nick Maclean) – Funkified waltz ** VIDEO
- Track 5 (Nick Maclean) – dark & gritty with shifting tempos ** VIDEO
- Snaggle No. 7 (Nick Maclean) – funkified minor waltz ** VIDEO
- The Long Slog (Nick Maclean) – odd-meter new orleans street beat **
- Tree Assassin (Nick Maclean) – slower contemplative tune **
- Christmas Tune (Nick Maclean) – Baroque, metal, fusion, polka mashup VIDEO
- Fissure (Nick Maclean) – up tempo dance jam *
- Slow Burn (Nick Maclean) – smoldering odd-meter funk *
- Mistaken Convergence (Nick Maclean) – high energy dance/funk*
- Other Fascination (Nick Maclean) – klezmer infused tune *
- Survival Instinct (Nick Maclean) – uptempo tune a la Brecker Brothers * VIDEO
- Tamed Inlet (Nick Maclean) – lighter, prettier, medium-tempo *
- Nonuhno (Doug Moore) – up tempo dance jam **
- Bassface (Doog Moore) – dirty funk jam * VIDEO
* appears on 'Snaggle' (Independent, 2013)
** appears on 'The Long Slog' (Browntasauras Records, 2016)
Snaggle's repertoire is made up exclusively of original material that has been written primarily by pianist Nick Maclean. These tunes draw from a vast array of source material spanning rock, metal, classical, dance, R&B and funk which are then contextualized in the jazz tradition representing the band's deepest roots.
QUOTES
“Snaggle plays music without borders, music that is at once sophisticated and inclusive, bristling with infectious funk grooves, rock riffs, and jazz-based improvisations woven into a tapestry of an ambitious yet accessible compositional palette. Seemingly irreconcilable influences vie for attention, from heavy, Zeppelinesque rock riffery to gentle jazz-funk, with hints of Radiohead and the Brian Blade Fellowship Band sprinkled in for good measure, all stitched together in a seamless, somehow inevitable way.”
- David Restivo, Canadian jazz piano giant (Toronto, CANADA)
“So now my main man Brownman has opened the doors of his label Browntasaurus Records to local artists he's been associated with in Toronto and other locales, and the first label release from young pianist Nick Maclean's 6-man electric-jazz group SNAGGLE is most impressive! The music on Long Slog is very, very challenging, yet groovy, soulful & exploratory at the same time. Brownman himself guests on 2 tunes and fits in with flying colors -- no easy task given how difficult some of this music is! Extremely well performed, written and executed you Snagglers, with high-end production from Brown in the producer's chair. Very impressive work. Reminds me of a band I used to play in! Really well done guys.”
- Randy Brecker, Grammy winning jazz trumpet legend (New York, USA)
“Snaggle is... music for the toes, feet and heart.
- George Harris, JazzWeekly.com
“Metric modulations, meter changes, tempo shifts, counter-point lines, but all with underlying melodic ideas that captivate while shifting from hard funk to gentle motifs (sometimes all within the same tune!)... they're SERIOUS... a truly astonishing ensemble!”
- Brownman Ali, National Jazz Award winning trumpet player (Brooklyn, USA)
“Nick Maclean stands out for me as one of the most gifted young Toronto pianists to come along in the last few years. His combination of raw creativity and a well studied grasp of the technical and theoretical aspects of music makes for a powerful musical statement. His project Snaggle embodies the spirit of what jazz is today--this is music that recognizes everything that came before it while also looking forward into the future, searching for new pathways of expression through the language of music.”
- Adrean Farrugia, Juno Award winning jazz pianist (Toronto, CANADA)
“Snaggle’s sophomore recording The Long Slog features funky, thoughtful, and inventive compositions played by an impressive group of young musicians. Snaggle is definitely more than the sum of its parts!”
- Mike Murley, Juno award winning tenor saxophone great (Toronto, CANADA)
“Snaggle's sound is influenced by such an eclectic mix of genre's that classification becomes impossible and more importantly, irrelevant. Each song is vast and eclectic, while maintaining a consistent and distinct sound. If dynamic and instrumental music is your thing then you should definitely check them out!”
- BlogTO (Toronto, CANADA)
“Funk/jazz fans, the next generation is in the house… A bunch of hard charging lads that probably can't do anything but deliver the goods, this is what you have to play when you need to get the blood flowing. Smoking stuff throughout.”
- Chris Spector, The Midwest Record (Illinois, USA)
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
– 2017 International Independent Music Award nominee
'The Long Slog' for ‘Best Jazz/Funk/Jam'
– 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award
'The Long Slog' winner for ‘Best Jazz Instrumental'
– 2016 3X 'Gold' Global Music Award winner
'The Long Slog' for ‘band’, ‘album’, and ‘creativity/originality’
– 2016 4-star rating on AllAboutJazz.com
for 'The Long Slog'
– 2016 AllAboutJazz.com’s ‘download of the day’
for “Snaggle #7”
– 2016 No.1 on the jazz charts in Kamloops
for 'The Long Slog'
“The music of Snaggle, a fruitful sextet based in Toronto, translates into mature compositions and stupendous executions. The members of the band, virtuosos in their respective instruments, resort to a laudable sense of unity and superior taste to creatively orchestrate the nine pieces of The Long Slog, their sophomore feature album… In a certain moment they’re confronting Miles Davis with Medeski Martin & Wood; in the other, you may find the Red Hot Chili Peppers colliding with Incognito or Mahavishnu Orchestra.”
- Filipe Freitas – Jazz Trail (New York, USA)
“The wonder of the musicians’ playing is how engagingly, articulately, flowingly and creatively they pour themselves into the songs, adding further lustre to this recording, which is stylish, responsive and richly atmospheric."
- Raul da Gama – The Whole Note (Toronto, CANADA)
“The ever-present technical precision of jazz music is wonderfully complimented by catchy and upbeat funk rhythms. Psychedelic and bluesy guitar riffs add a whole other dimension to their sound that is reinforced by dark and dreamy keyboard parts.”
- BloodyUnderated.net
“Snaggle is a world class band playing contemporary jazz-rock that'll knock your socks off! Great playing, writing, and sound design. I love the sense of adventure, the captivating melodies, rockin' guitar, the space, the jazz sensibility and the deep groove. Look out!”
- Kim Ratcliff, highly sought after studio guitarist (Toronto, CANADA)
“An album that puts a mystical space tiger front and centre on its cover sets some serious expectations, and the Long Slog delivers. This album is adventurous, slightly proggy and seriously grooving and finds the band living up to their reputation as 'Canada's answer to Snarky Puppy.' Tightly composed, thoughtfully arranged and fiercely performed (with just the right amount of weird); exactly what that space tiger deserves."
- Brad Cheeseman, 2016 winner of the Montreal Grand Prix du Jazz Award
“There was a large dynamic range in the show, and even within individual tunes, from fluid and bright, to gentle and atmospheric, to forceful and urgent dance music, to atonal and threatening... Snaggle gave Ottawa a memorable evening of intense performances and well-written music, and attracted a crowd which packed the bar."
- Alayne McGregor - OttawaJazzScene.ca (Ottawa, CANADA)
“What’s most striking about this group is that they are continually challenging the “norm”, so what you get will be completely fresh and new. I give this band a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99.”
- Dick Metcalf – Improvijazzation Nation (Washington, USA)