An homage to their Dallas-area musical roots, 2022's Empire Central is one of Snarky Puppy's most enjoyable and accessible albums to date. Recorded live in-studio at Dallas' Deep Ellum Art Company with an audience in attendance, the album finds them digging into their jazz, funk, and R&B influences. The Grammy-winning, multi-member ensemble led by bassist Michael League initially emerged from the University of North Texas and quickly established themselves as a leading crossover jazz band on the Dallas and international music scene. Empire Central showcases the group's longstanding knack for crafting groove-based instrumental tracks rife with hooky melodies, sophisticated arrangements, and exploratory improvisations. Much of the album evokes the infectious '70s fusion of band's like Weather Report and the Brecker Brothers, but it's also incredibly funky. Particularly compelling here is "Take It!," a juicy, late-'70s-style jam in the Parliament/Funkadelic and Crusaders-tradition featuring iconic Dallas keyboardist Bernard Wright. Sadly, Wright died in a car accident soon after the recording and his wiry synth lines are pure magic here, pushing the song to ever-more cosmic heights. The track also features a fat-toned solo from trumpeter Jay Jennings that brings to mind CTI-era Freddie Hubbard. Similarly, "Bet" contrasts a wicked duo bass and guitar riff with jazzy flutes and tenor saxophonist Bob Reynold's knotty post-bop improvisational lines. There's a travelog quality to Empire Central with songs like "East Bay," "Broken Arrow," and "Belmont," that seem to conjure the vibe of the Texas locations they are named after. There's even "Mean Green," a wicked soul-funk number with crunchy electric guitars off-set by burnished horns and spacy keyboard accents that are clearly inspired by the North Texas University football team of the band's alma mater. With Empire Central, Snarky Puppy transform the Dallas music and culture that inspired them into a tangible listening experience. ~ Matt Collar