GroundUP Music Festival: 2019 Review

Mark Lettieri Trio performing at GroundUP 2019.

Mark Lettieri Trio performing at GroundUP 2019.

By Philip Capuzzi

The final year of the 2010s saw the 4th ever GroundUP Festival, in Miami Beach, Florida, February 8-10, Friday to Sunday. The fusion group Snarky Puppy curates the lineup and runs the festival. The daytime sets are held at North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach. The festival puts a dual-stage setup to use, with a main stage, and a smaller stage. The sound isolation is impressive, and this strategy allows for back to back performances. Despite the occasional delay, GroundUP is set after set, and festival goers saunter between the two stages to see the next act. If the 24 hours of music from Friday to Sunday isn’t enough for you, the festival also touts Late Night sets on each of the three nights, which each run for four hours or more. All in all, if you go to every single moment of GroundUP, you’ll be listening to about 45 hours of music. The sheer amount of content is unbelievable, and the quality matches if not surpasses that. GroundUP is the highlight of any music lover’s year. Artistry, innovation, and compassion are the philosophies that drive the festival. I have personally never had a better weekend in my life.

Friday

      1. Innov Gnawa

        • The Moroccan quartet coming from the Gnawa tradition started the weekend off with a bang. With members Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafar, Samir Langus, Amino Belyamani, and Ahmed Jeriouda, Innov Gnawa captivated the audience instantly. Maalem plays the Sintir, a stringed instrument similar to the lute with a hypnotic tone. Samir, Amino, and Ahmed would enter after Maalem sets down the line, with dense and engaging lyrics. Then, if you thought that wasn’t enough, they pull out their qarqaba, similar to castanets, and start playing a chattering, complex rhythm. Innov Gnawa is a wonder of the balance between tradition and innovation, and the perfect way to start the festival.

      2. PRD Mais

        • Bernardo Aguiar, Gabriel Policarpo, Bóka Reis, Brian Potts, Guilherme Oliveira, and Gustavo Oliveira comprise this ensemble driven by Brazilian percussion. Pure energy exudes from their performances, and anyone who thinks that drums can’t play a melody is proven wrong within the first ten seconds of their performance. PRD Mais innovates without stepping out of the Brazilian tradition. Similarly to Innov Gnawa, they find that perfect balance.

      3. Snarky Puppy

        • Snarky Puppy takes the stage for the first time and starts with a never heard before tune from their yet to be released album, Immigrance. The weekend saw them play more than ten completely new songs, which gave this festival a fresh and unique feeling as opposed to prior years. Snarky Puppy has heavy experience playing live, and it shows. Great performance.

      4. Tank & the Bangas

        • HARD. The New Orleans native band led by Tarriona “Tank” Ball took the bull by the horns and threw it into the china shop. Intense lyricism accompanied by funky horn lines and absolutely dirty drumming got every person in the audience bouncing up and down. I wish they had played more. Highlight of the Friday daytime sets.

      5. Andrew Bird

        • After his stints with Squirrel Nut Zippers and Bowl of Fire, Andrew Bird took a shot at a solo career. Never has a better decision been made. The multi-instrumentalist played mostly violin at GroundUP, with folk, jazz, and blues ideas flowing from his bow to the string. Very nice to briefly step away from more rhythmically motivated ensembles to something more focused on melodic development.

      6. Chris Potter with James Frances and Nate Smith

        • Grit, grime, growl. Those are the first three words that come into my head when I think of this group. The prolific saxophonist Chris Potter took the stage with keyboardist James Frances and drummer Nate Smith. This was the gnarliest trio of the entire weekend. Nate Smith’s pocket was so deep I thought I was going to fall into it. He found a way to play with ferocity without standing out or detracting from the overall direction. James Frances is a monster. There’s really no other way to put it. If his comping skills weren’t wild enough, there were numerous times in the performance when he played intricate bass lines on a synth while maintaining his right hand soloing. The independence of his left and right hands is unmatched. The 48 year old Chris Potter didn’t skip a beat, literally. Despite numerous odd meter tunes and extremely fast tempos, he managed to stay with every single second. This was a performance for the heavy listener. Took me for a loop and a half, that’s for sure.

      7. Lalah Hathaway

        • The queen of modern R&B took the stage as the headliner on Friday night, and stole the audience away. Her entrancing voice and stage presence had the entire festival swooning. She came out for the lone encore of the whole weekend after several minutes of raucous cheering from the crowd. She has such a unique and beautiful presence that comes through so clearly in her performances. Snarky Puppy drummer Larnell Lewis told me after the show that he thinks she is at the height of her art form in every way possible. I couldn’t agree more.

    • Friday Late Night

      • Sammy Figueroa

        • The Puerto Rico native turned South Florida resident kicked off the late night sets with gusto. Figueroa is at the top of latin jazz percussion right now. His ability to create a narrative through his playing is unreal. Experience with legends like Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and Sonny Rollins, just to name a few, have left Sammy Figueroa with a wealth of musical knowledge that can’t even be defined. Perfect way to start the evening’s festivities.

      • Yay Yennings Quartet

        • Snarky Puppy trumpet player Yay Yennings is joined by University of Miami graduate Lowell Ringell on bass, Jamison Ross on drums, and Bob Reynolds on tenor saxophone. Bebop galore. By far the most swinging set of the entire festival. Their language was impeccable. Yay Yennings called a few tunes among mostly originals. Let me tell you, he knows how to write a bebop head. You might notice that there’s no chordal instrument in this quartet. This puts a huge responsibility on the bass player to give a harmonic foundation, but also opens up the sonic landscape. Lowell Ringell and Jamison Ross step up to the challenge and burned their way through the set. With the audience packed into a tiny hall with dated interior style, it really felt like we were in the 40s listening to a set at the Royal Roost.

      • The O’Pears

        • The sweet and genuine vocal trio from Canada simplified things for a little while with some pretty little tunes from their latest album. Beautiful voices with well-written harmony calmed the audience after a long day of heavy music. There’s really no way to not love the O’Pears, they’re so endearing it’s almost unbelievable.

      • Shaun Martin Go Go Party

        • “IF YOU AIN’T TRYNA PARTY THEN GET YO *** HOME” Shaun Martin takes the reigns at 3am sharp with such incredible energy and intensity that every single person in the crowd was jumping up and down within the first five minutes. Keep in mind this is after 11 hours of music and standing. Shaun Martin doesn’t take no for an answer. If you go to his Go Go Party, you will be up on your feet screaming and dancing the entire time. I’m surprised I didn’t lose my voice. Such a fun set, so glad I stuck out the whole night to see it.

Saturday

      • Shenzi

        • The up and coming Miami-based quintet took the stage to get GroundUP 2019 Saturday started. You could feel their energy through the music. With several members graduating from the University of Miami recently, this band is in its infancy. However, you wouldn’t be able to guess it. Every musician in the group had a level of maturity that you would not expect from people so young. Shenzi is going places, and GroundUP has its finger on the pulse.

      • Michelle Willis

        • The vocalist from Toronto, best known for her role in David Crosby’s most recent musical endeavor, took the stage for a solo set. She was joined by the O’Pears for a couple tunes, which were breathtaking. She has a voice that you can feel. There’s plenty of great vocalists, but Michelle Willis is unique. You can feel her emotion through her song. A storyteller at heart, her performance was special.

      • Bokante

        • Michael League, bassist and bandleader of Snarky Puppy, decided that he wasn’t doing enough in 2016, so he decided to form Bokante. The international ensemble with members from every corner of the world took the stage and proved that culture can be cohesive if treated with respect. Malika Tirolien commands the stage with her beautiful voice. Masters Andre Ferrari, James Haddad, and Keito Ogawa, all on percussion, give the group a dense yet lucid rhythmic basis, and Chris McQueen and Bob Lanzetti provide chordal accompaniment and the occasional solo. Roosevelt Collier on lap steel guitar and Michael League on baritone guitar round out the ensemble. I was disappointed they didn’t have another set during the festival, but what they did play was absolutely profound.

      • Ghost-Note

        • Funkaliciousss. Drummer Robert “Sput” Searight and bassist Mono Neon lay down the groove for the band. The rest is history. A highlight of their performance was an up tempo rendition of Michael Brecker’s famous tune Skunk Funk. Despite some technical issues, Ghost-Note grabbed the audience and didn’t let go. Definitely in the top five for the weekend.

      • Bill Laurance

        • Snarky Puppy pianist Bill Laurance combines pre-recorded synth tracks with piano to create a very unique sound. Ambience is the best way to describe his set. One of the most engaging pieces was completely improvised. Laurance is trying to find ways to innovate without getting too far away from traditional timbres, and he’s doing an incredible job. It definitely took a second for me to get invested in the performance, but once I was, there was no going back.

      • The O’Pears

        • Fresh off of their charming Friday night performance, The O’Pears took the stage on Saturday and once again entranced the audience with their airy vocal style. Shades of the Boswell sisters with a modern folk twist. Another comparable group is Lily and Madeleine, the folk vocal duo from Indianapolis. The O’Pears were a focal point of GroundUP 2019, appearing as guests on several other sets over the course of the weekend. They had such a good aura, I really hope to see them again in future years.

      • Snarky Puppy

        • For the second time, Snarky Puppy takes control of GroundUP and premieres more music from their upcoming album. With so many members, their cohesion is almost alien. Every single member is a master of their craft, and not only that, but they all strive towards the same goal. No one is fighting or trying to steal the spotlight, everything is about the ensemble. The staple of GroundUP did not disappoint in the slightest on the most popular day of the weekend.

      • Andrew Bird

        • Virtuoso Andrew Bird once again steps onto the mainstage as the Artist at Large for Saturday. Somehow, he manages to better his previous performance with extraordinary technique and vision. His tone is beautiful without being polite, soloing is innovative while still coming out of a rich history, and his compositions are passionate and distinct. It was such a pleasure to see him perform twice. He is, without a doubt, a legend whose music will live far beyond his years.

Saturday Late Night

      • Justin Stanton

        • Saturday Late Night begins with Justin Stanton, whose name you might recognize from Snarky Puppy OR Ghost-Note. Stanton, an incredibly talented pianist, wants to move towards leading his own group, and if this set was any indication of what he’s capable of in that position, he should have done it ten years ago. Fusion inspired compositions with a unique twist define this performance. By no means the most exciting group of the weekend, but nonetheless an extremely impressive performance. Expect to see great things from Stanton in the future.

      • Innov Gnawa

        • The Moroccan quartet who opened up the festival gets another fifty minutes on stage and they don’t waste a second of it. The sintar and qarqaba are once again in tandem, and ostinato has never felt better. Innov Gnawa’s musical approach is as follows: set up a groove and stay there. They opened up the audience to a style of music that most of them have never experienced before, and you could feel the joy in the room from people hearing something they never have before.

      • Mark Lettieri Trio

        • With Wes Stephenson on bass and Jason “JT” Thomas on drums, Mark Lettieri defines the concept of cool. Smooth guitar tone with absolutely rock solid bass and drums accompaniment had everyone bopping their heads back and forth. Being a Mark Lettieri fan for a while now, this was a dream come true for me. Lettieri’s command of his instrument is unparalleled, and I’ve never seen a duo as renegade as Stephenson and Thomas. Undoubtedly the highlight of Saturday night.

      • Secret Trio

        • Ara Dinkjian on oud, Tamer Pinarbasi on kanun, and Ismail Lumanovski on clarinet for this absolutely breathtaking set. Blending middle eastern traditional music with their own unique compositional styles, the Secret Trio was a hidden gem at GroundUP. Lumanovski’s clarinet playing was virtuosic; his tone and inflections were astonishingly tasteful. The few people that stuck around to see the Secret Trio witnessed pure magic.

      • Ghost-Note Jam

        • Great way to end a heavy Saturday, with some fun-loving jams. From Eurorhythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ to Africa’s ‘Toto’, Ghost-Note put their own spin on a variety of popular music. In Robert Searight’s own words, “take your judgement caps off, we’re just gonna have some fun”. This was by far the most carefree set, with some mistakes and singers reading lyrics, but that was the point. Might as well just have some fun and play some pop music with a swath of legends at 4am on a Saturday night.

Sunday

      • Lucy Woodward, with SJB and Shelly Berg

        • Lucy Woodward, who you’ve come to know and love if you’ve been to GroundUP fest in the past, takes the stage to sign some tunes with University of Miami Frost School of Music’s own Studio Jazz Band. Under the direction of Stephen Guerra, SJB puts on a show behind Lucy Woodward. Pianist and Dean of the Frost School of Music Shelly Berg joined the band for a couple tunes as well. Good start to the final day of GroundUP.

      • House of Waters

        • House of Waters took the crowd into another dimension with their performance on Sunday. Max ZT, heralded as the Jimi Hendrix of dulcimer, alongside bassist Moto Fukushima and drummer Ignacio Rivas Bixio, blend south American rhythms with fusion melodies, a combination which is as unique as it is engaging. Despite the boiling hot sun, House of Waters got everyone in the North Beach Bandshell to stand up and take note of what they were doing. Truly magnificent performance from one of the most innovative trios on the scene today.

      • Maz

        • Mike ‘Maz’ Maher, who you might recognize as one of the Snarky Puppy trumpet players, puts his vocal ability to the test with his musical project entitled ‘Maz’. Alongside Bob Lanzetti, Michael League, Justin Stanton, and many others, Mike Maher utilizes a very relaxed vocal tone with meaningful lyrics. Really surprising to see Maher in this role, but I have to say it suits him quite well

      • Susana Baca

        • Absolute master. Susana Baca knows how to sway a crowd more than any other performer I’ve ever witnessed. Her voice, in tandem with an impeccable rhythm section, soared out into the early evening air and had every listener on the edge of the proverbial seat. Beautiful person and a beautiful artist.

      • Funky Knuckles

        • Wes Stephenson makes another appearance on bass, joined by Cedric Moore on drums, Phill Aelony on guitar, Ben Bohorquez on saxophone, Evan Weiss on trumpet, and Kwinton Gray on keyboards. Despite a little bit of looseness in the performance, the Funky Knuckles rocked the socks off the crowd, providing GroundUP festival goers with one more funky set.

      • David Crosby

        • Prolific songwriter and beautiful human being, David Crosby is another storyteller at heart. His musical ideas are simple without being boring, and his melodies speak to every person in the audience. Words cannot describe the respect I have for David Crosby, so glad he was able to make it to GroundUP.

      • New York Gypsy All-Stars

        • All three members of the Secret Trio return alongside a plethora of musicians for a wildly entertaining performance. I didn’t think I had the energy to keep dancing, but the NY Gypsy All-Stars proved me wrong. Similarly to the Secret Trio, middle eastern tradition mixes with contemporary ideas to form a distinct sound that only this group can call their own.

      • Snarky Puppy

        • Who else would end GroundUP but Snarky Puppy. Incredible set from the musical collective responsible for organizing the festival. After playing several new songs as well as some tunes from albums such as Family Dinner Vol 1, they brought out Innov Gnawa for an insane rendition of their biggest hit, Lingus. I never could have dreamed that GroundUP 2019 would end with Innov Gnawa and Snarky Puppy on stage together, playing Lingus. Perfect end to a perfect festival.

Sunday Late Night

      • Songwriters Circle (Michelle Willis, Becca Stevens, Jay Wright, David Crosby, Michael Maher, Susana Baca)

        • This was probably the single heaviest set I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Michelle Willis, Becca Stevens, Jay Wright, David Crosby, Michael ‘Maz’ Maher, and Susana Baca each take their turn presenting a solo composition that they had never played for anyone. Each musician took a moment to talk about the story behind their piece, as well as their general philosophy about life and music. This performance changed my life. Absolutely profound.

      • Jonathan Scales

        • Just when you thought things were winding down, you step into Jonathan Scales’ set and you’re thrown right back into the fire. Jonathan Scales on steel drum, (you read that right). E’Lon JD on bass, and Maison Gudry on drums, absolutely shredding. Technical mastery on all parts, and wildly cohesive trio playing, especially considering the complexity of every single piece. I’ve been listening to Jonathan Scales constantly after that performance, never thought steel drum could be quite that hip.

      • Jamison Ross

        • Jamison Ross, drummer, and also singer during this set, tugs at the heartstrings of the audience with this set. Getting everyone to sing along to several tunes, Ross’ personality emanated love and compassion. I was so sad when his set finally ended. Had a chance to talk to him for a while after the show; his dedication to his craft is impressive beyond belief, and he inspires me to work so much harder towards my goals.

      • PRD Mais with Carlos Malta

        • 3am on Sunday after 40+ hours of music and against all odds, PRD Mais keeps the party going. Entrancing Brazilian rhythms get everyone’s feet moving one last time. In lieu of an encore, they paraded through the venue playing a drum beat as the straggling festival attendees followed, to ride out those final moments of musical beauty. Three days and three nights of nonstop music in the books, and I couldn’t help but want just a little bit more.

Festival Glitches

As with any festival, there were some issues with the timing of sets. Sound checks would often take too long, forcing festival goers to stand there with baited breath, waiting for the next act to start. Of course, the North Beach Bandshell was a nice location, and the presence of a good number of interesting and unique vendors, as well as a huge number of hammocks littered throughout the grounds made for good distractions in these off times. This issue is also completely allowable if you’ve been to any festival in the past. It takes time to get the right sound, especially when wildly different instrumentation is needed for every single band. The charm of GroundUP really is its huge variety of different artists that somehow all fit under the same umbrella of artistry. The only other qualm with the festival that comes to mind is sightline from certain areas in the mainstage area. Another potential complaint could be the small size of the venue, but this is the exact intention of Snarky Puppy with the GroundUP festival. As Michael League said after Snarky Puppy’s Friday night performance, “we don’t want this festival to get any bigger. It’s going to stay just like this.” The idea of GroundUP is to create an intimate and mutually respectful musical environment, and increasing the size of the festival would jeopardize that priority. In truth, there really isn’t much to complain about with GroundUP, the joy of listening to pure musical beauty surpasses any logistical problem.




Vibe

I got into it briefly in the Glitches section, but this festival is the epitome of music listening. I’ve never felt a stronger connection to the performers or the people around me listening. Being a relatively reserved person, I generally feel self conscious at concerts and end up standing still and simply listening. GroundUP was a different story. I was incapable of staying still, I needed to move with the music. The depth of pulse and pocket was unbelievable. Band after band had me bumping harder than I ever have in my life. It might seem like I’m exaggerating, but trust me, I’m not. There was a certain level of understanding, respect, and connection between every performer and the audience that I’ve never experienced before. Especially with popular music, it seems as though the artist is a god; it’s easy to lose touch with the person and lean into the idol that they’ve become. Of course, this can be an amazing experience in and of itself. However, GroundUP takes a different approach. Snarky Puppy knows how to curate a festival, and they only ask people to play who they think will fit into the environment they want. The performer speaks directly to the listener, there’s absolutely nothing between the expression and the consumption. Another important thing to note is that phones rarely make an appearance at GroundUP. After getting used to seeing 99% of people in the audience holding up their cell phone and taking a low quality video just so that they can have something to do with their hands, GroundUP was more than refreshing. This takes us to the next section.




Festival Goers

Who goes to GroundUP? Anyone and everyone. Never have I seen such genuine diversity at a festival. Hippies, normies, seniors, college students, kids, families, professional musicians, you name it, they were there. GroundUP is about the individual, and anyone who has respect for the direction in which Snarky Puppy takes the festival will enjoy it wholeheartedly. As mentioned early, the sample size is small. Snarky Puppy only sells 3000 tickets, and 2019 didn’t even sell out. Somewhere around 2500 people walked through the gate at North Beach Bandshell throughout the course of the weekend, and a rough estimate of the average amount of people in the venue at one time is 500. Every single person that attends the festival is there for a single purpose-to experience live music. The only fault from Festival Goers is their tendency to sit down at the Late Night sets. While it is understandable after hours and hours of standing, one person sitting takes up the space of two people standing, and with small rooms, this practice can sometimes exclude people from performances. Thankfully, the artists weren’t having any of it, and every single performer told the crowd to stand up at some point during their late night performance. This is the sole mistake from an otherwise wonderful crowd. As I mentioned early, rarely will you see a phone, rarely will your listening experience be interrupted by some imbecile having a full volume conversation, and in truth, rarely will your listening experience be disturbed in any manner. Snarky Puppy and every performer at the festival fosters an environment of love and compassion, and everyone is on board. It really is a profound experience, and I have so much respect for every person who attended the festival this year. I have a generally cynical disposition, but GroundUP instilled a sense of altruism and oneness that I’ve never felt before.




Conclusion

GroundUP Festival 2019 was by far the highlight of my young adult life. The passion, artistry, and compassion I felt at GroundUP far surpassed any other musical experience in my entire life. I cannot recommend this festival enough to anyone who has respect for music making and live music. Beautiful atmosphere, beautiful people, and beautiful music. What else could you ask for? I know I’ll be at GroundUP every single year for the rest of my life, and I hope to see you there.




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