Welcome to the world of Snorts Malibu.
For several decades, Snorts has been a constant source of raw inspiration and the singer the greatest jazz players turn to refresh their creative batteries. Snorts’ essence and spirit of authenticity combined with his musical reckless abandon define his artistry.
“I am all about being in the moment and just letting myself go. When I sing there is no fear – just positive energy and whatever happens just happens…”
– Snorts Malibu
From his earliest recording back in 1981 of the Charlie Parker classic “Little Suede Shoes” to his most recent work on Brad Mehldau’s Grammy Award-winning recording Finding Gabriel, Snorts is a tour-de-force song stylist that defies the rules in whatever musical environment he finds himself.
This is the tune that started it all. Along with his friend, trumpeter and collaborator Phineas Green, Snorts introduces his sound and voice to the world.
The Snorts Malibu legend is born
as told by Phineas Green (this is a true story)…
My buddy (jazz drummer/”singer”) and I (trumpet player) sent in to Downbeat, for their yearly competition of school bands and individual soloists, a recording for the college division jazz vocal category. I had won for high school the year before, so we thought let’s try the college one–except we recorded our songs over a Jamey Aebersold record–mixed to sound like they were our band. Now my friend was an excellent drummer for his age, but his singing was funny—to awful… We gave him the name of Snorts Malibu and sent off the audition tape to Downbeat for their Dee-BEE Awards… Snort’s style was to imitate a jazzy violinist w/ banter w/ his players…
So a bit later, we learn that Downbeat had chosen our boy Snorts Malibu as best college vocalist in the U.S.! Unfortunately, they called our teacher (who was the original trumpeter in the Art Ensemble of Chicago) informing him of his student’s honor– he said, “Sh*t, I don’t have any student named Snorts Malibu!” End of honor.
Snorts featured on 2020 Grammy Award-winning recording …
Pianist Brad Mehldau has admired Snorts for decades (as noted on Brad’s site). The two have jammed together many times and it had been long a dream of Brad’s to record something with Snorts. This musical meeting happened on Brad’s Grammy-winning recording Finding Gabriel where Snorts is featured on the track “Proverb of Ashes” along with Kurt Elling. Snorts starts things off as only he can do and the rest is history as they say.
Review: “Proverb of Ashes ….A different high-pitched voice at the top of this groover recites ‘I pledge allegiance to America’ as Guiliana creates a righteous, upbeat syncopation to lift synth and piano layers. Quickly, Elling is in the mix, scatting again, this time through some electronic distortion and in a back-and-forth with other vocal whoops and cries. The track comes off as joyful and difficult at once, perhaps a metaphor for what Mehldau is trying to say about the Pledge and the country. The composition resolves into a cleanly recorded piano pattern, over which harmonized voices sing like a jazz choir.” – Will Layman, PopMatters
Other classic tracks and notable collaborations …
One of the early collaborations with Snorts and Phineas Green. Snorts depth in regards to the artistry of Sonny Rollins shines on this recording.
The language of bebop and Bird are foundations to Snorts artistry and inspiration. It is where Snorts and Phineas shine the most in terms of their musical telepathy and collaboration. There is no finer example than Confirmation.
The Keith Jarrett Standards Trio is some of Snorts favorite music of all time. Here he is jamming on Prism.
Snorts is a huge fan of Brazilian singer/pianist Tania Maria so it was a treat for him to have some fun on this remix of Come with Me using some snazzy effects and a steady back beat.
Snorts had the honor to sing The Pat Metheny Group epic First Circle with the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble. It was quite a challenging assignment but Snorts managed to put his mark on the track.