{{short description|American musician (born 1984)}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Michael League.jpg | caption = League at the Heineken Jazzaldia | birth_name = Michael Kellyrea League<ref name="californiabirthindex.org">{{Cite web | title=Michael Kellyrea League, Born 04/24/1984 in California {{!}} CaliforniaBirthIndex.org | url=https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/michael_kellyrea_league_born_1984_16396955 | access-date=2025-09-05 | website=www.californiabirthindex.org}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|4|24}} | birth_place = Long Beach, California, US | genre = {{Hlist|Jazz|fusion|world music}} | instrument = {{Hlist|Bass|guitar|keyboards}} | years_active = 2004–present | current_member_of = Snarky Puppy | past_member_of = Forq }}
thumb|right|260px|Michael League (2019) in Aarhus, Denmark
'''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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael League|url=http://www.fbass.com/artists/artist/michael_league|website=fbass.com|access-date=8 June 2019}}</ref> League has won five Grammy Awards.
== Early life == League was born in California on April 24, 1984.<ref name="californiabirthindex.org">{{Cite web | title=Michael Kellyrea League, Born 04/24/1984 in California {{!}} CaliforniaBirthIndex.org | url=https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/michael_kellyrea_league_born_1984_16396955 | access-date=2025-09-05 | website=www.californiabirthindex.org}}</ref> 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.<ref name=bassplayer>{{cite web |last1=Jisi |first1=Chris |title=Michael League Top Dog With Snarky Puppy |url=https://www.bassplayer.com/artists/michael-league-top-dog-with-snarky-puppy |website=bassplayer.com |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |accessdate=14 September 2018}}</ref> He was raised Catholic.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=Michael League's Spanish Adventure |url=https://downbeat.com/news/detail/michael-leagues-spanish-adventure |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=downbeat.com |language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref name="notreble">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Kevin |title=From the Ground Up: An Interview with Michael League |url=https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2014/02/13/from-the-ground-up-an-interview-with-michael-league/ |website=notreble.com |publisher=Coreyweb LLC |accessdate=14 September 2018|date=2014-02-13 }}</ref> There he performed with gospel artists like Walter Hawkins, Kirk Franklin,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pigtronix.com/artists/michael-league/|title=Michael League|website=pigtronix.com|access-date=2017-03-06|archive-date=2018-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093617/https://pigtronix.com/artists/michael-league/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Marvin Sapp, Myron Butler & Levi, and Israel Houghton, and frequently performed at the Potter's House.<ref name="bassplayer" /> He was also a regular member of Erykah Badu's backing band, the Gritz. League moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2009.
== Career == League formed Snarky Puppy in his freshman year of college at the University of North Texas, originally consisting of him and nine of his peers. He composed most of their original music, as well as produced all albums released by the band.
He has performed or recorded with artists from a variety of genres including Laura Mvula, Lalah Hathaway, Joe Walsh, Chris Thile, Michael McDonald, Terence Blanchard, Esperanza Spalding, Joshua Redman, Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter, Salif Keita, Eliades Ochoa, Fatoumata Diawara, Bassekou Kouyate, Susana Baca, and Kardeş Türküler.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} He served as musical director for David Crosby in his Lighthouse touring band, alongside Becca Stevens and Michelle Willis.
In 2014, League won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance with Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway for a live performance of the Brenda Russell and David Foster song "Something" on the ''Family Dinner – Volume 1'' album.<ref name=notreble/> In 2016, ''Sylva'', the collaborative album between Snarky Puppy and the Metropole Orkest and conducted by Jules Buckley, won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, as did the band's follow-up album, ''Culcha Vulcha'' in 2017.;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/search/Snarky%20Puppy|title=Search Results for Snarky Puppy|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=2018-12-10}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/14/arts/music/grammys-winners-list.html |title=2021 Grammys Winners: The Full List |publisher=NY Times |date=March 14, 2021 |access-date=15 March 2021 }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://realworldrecords.com/releases/what-heat/|title=What Heat|website=Real World Records|access-date=2018-12-10}}</ref> In 2019, ''What Heat'' was nominated in the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album category.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Online Editor |title=Bokanté receives Grammy nomination for What Heat |url=https://realworldrecords.com/news/bokante-receives-grammy-nomination-for-what-heat/ |website=Real World Records |date=20 November 2019 |accessdate=11 February 2020}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/michael-league-snarky-puppys-jazz-schooled-grassroots-visionary-michael-league-by-mike-jacobs.php?page=1 |title=Michael League: Snarky Puppy's Jazz-Schooled, Grassroots Visionary |publisher=All About Jazz |date=December 10, 2018 |accessdate= 8 June 2019 }}</ref>
League relocated to Catalonia, Spain in 2020.<ref name=":0" />
In 2021, League released his debut solo album ''So Many Me'' on GroundUP Music. League himself performed every instrument on the album, including vocals, synthesizer, and various Turkish, Moroccan, and Kurdish percussion instruments. The album received critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blakeley |first1=Ryan |title=Michael League Is in a League of His Own with 'So Many Me' |url=https://www.popmatters.com/michael-league-so-many-me |website=PopMatters |access-date=3 January 2023 |date=2 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Booth |first1=Philip |title=Michael League: So Many Me (GroundUp) |url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/michael-league-so-many-me-groundup/ |website=JazzTimes |access-date=3 January 2023 |date=9 August 2021}}</ref>
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Title !! Year !! Label |- | ''So Many Me'' || 2021 || GroundUP Music |}
=== Collaborative albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Title !! Year !! Collaborator(s) !! Label |- | ''Where You Wish You Were'' || 2022 || Bill Laurance || ACT Music |- |''Keeping Company'' |2024 |Bill Laurance |ACT Music |}
=== Singles === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! 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 === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! 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:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-league-mn0002561653|title=Michael League - Credits - AllMusic|publisher=All Music Guide}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/3259343-Michael-League|title=Michael League|publisher=Discogs}}</ref>
* 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<ref>{{cite web |last1=Garno |first1=Kelly |title=Announcing Late Night at GroundUP Music Festival |url=http://sensiblereason.com/announcing-late-night-at-gum-fest/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914165528/http://sensiblereason.com/announcing-late-night-at-gum-fest/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 14, 2018 |website=sensiblereason.com |publisher=Sensible Reason |accessdate=12 September 2018}}</ref> within the grounds of the North Beach Band Shell in North Beach, Miami.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schlein |first1=Zach |title=Michael League Crafts an Intimate Festival Experience in GroundUp Music |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/interview-with-groundup-music-festival-artistic-director-michael-league-10047916 |website=miaminewtimes.com |publisher=Miami New Times |accessdate=14 September 2018|date=2018-02-06 }}</ref> The first GroundUP Music Festival was initiated by Andy Hurwitz, directed by Paul Lehr, and artistically directed by Michael League.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andrew |first1=O'Brien |title=Snarky Puppy's Michael League Talks GroundUP Festival, New Projects And More |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/features/snarky-puppys-michael-league-talks-groundup-music-festival-new-projects-more/ |website=Live For Live Music |date=11 January 2017 |accessdate=11 February 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kahn |first1=Andy |title=Snarky Puppy & GroundUP Music Announce 2017 GroundUP Music Festival Lineup |url=https://www.jambase.com/article/snarky-puppy-groundup-music-announce-2017-groundup-music-festival-lineup |website=jambase.com |publisher=Jambase |accessdate=14 September 2018|date=2016-10-13 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=GroundUP Music Festival Feb 9 - 11, 2018 |url=https://www.jambase.com/festival/groundup-music-festival-2018 |website=jambase.com |publisher=Jambase |accessdate=14 September 2018|date=2017-10-17 }}</ref> GroundUP Music Festival, Miami, is now planned as an annual event.
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:League, Michael}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American composers Category:American jazz guitarists Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Grammy Award winners Category:21st-century American guitarists Category:University of North Texas alumni Category:Snarky Puppy members Category:Forq members Category:Jazz fusion bass guitarists Category:American jazz bass guitarists Category:21st-century American male composers