Bobby Sparks II

If a Hammond B-3 organ could sing, it might sound like Bobby Sparks II playing the keys on his vintage keyboard and delivering an electrifying musical experience.

A winner of the GRAMMY Awards, Sparks has built a genre-defying sound shaped by decades of exploration across gospel, jazz, funk, R&B and beyond. He has performed and recorded with a remarkable range of artists including Prince, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Nelly Furtado, Marcus Miller, Kirk Franklin, and St. Vincent.

Born into a deeply musical family in Corsicana, Texas, Sparks was immersed in music from a young age. He even began playing the organ in church at the tender age of six. His mother, a gospel organist and pianist, introduced him to church music, while his father, a bebop trumpeter, immersed him in jazz and blues—Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Count Basie, Miles Davis, organ legends like Jimmy Smith, and the king of blues B.B. King.

After studying at Eastfield College near Dallas, Sparks joined Kirk Franklin’s group, serving as musical director from 1992 to 2005. He later became a key member of Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, and since 2016, has performed internationally with Snarky Puppy, contributing to their award-winning work.

An ever-evolving artist, Sparks continues to push boundaries. Released in 2019, his debut album Schizophrenia: The Yang Project introduced his expansive compositional vision and distinctive sonic identity.

Paranoia, his latest release, is Sparks at his most expressive and fearless. Blending cinematic textures with funk-driven grooves and bold arrangements, Sparks pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz and fusion while staying grounded in his artistic roots.