Snarky Puppy: Family Dinner Vol Two review – uninhibited, high-flying jazz-fusion

High-flying jazz-fusion collective Snarky Puppy curated a collaboration with a raft of star vocalists in 2014 under the title Family Dinner. This is the second instalment, with an even glitzier guestlist, caught live in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Young singer-songwriter Becca Stevens opens proceedings with some unexpectedly plaintive folk fiddle music, which builds towards the clamorous I Asked, with its odd-metre bassline and bold harmonies. Peru’s Susana Baca is joined by jazz-funk guitar maverick Charlie Hunter on the heated Molino Montero, ending up with a melee of percussion polyrhythms and interwoven backing vocals, and a similar explosive finale winds up Salif Keita’s Soro (Afriki). Britain’s Laura Mvula and Jacob Collier provide thoughtful soul and jaw-dropping vocal multitasking, with the latter’s Don’t You Know the longest and most exploratory track on the set. Legendary rock survivor David Crosby’s ballad Somebody Home doesn’t make for the most euphoric curtain-closer, and a jazz feel is mostly consigned to loose handling of the arrangements, but there are some inspired performances on this uninhibitedly diverse set.