Mark Lettieri

American guitarist and composer Mark Lettieri has, since the early 2010s, built a body of work centered on instrumental electric guitar that sits at the crossroads of funk, rock, soul and jazz. After a childhood in California he settled in Fort Worth, Texas, first making his mark on the Dallas–Fort Worth studio scene before joining the collective Snarky Puppy. With them he toured extensively and honed a playing style focused on groove and ensemble arrangements. At the same time Lettieri has pursued a solo career with several albums blending funk rhythms, jazz-derived harmonies and rock energy: Knows (2011), Futurefun (2013), Spark and Echo (2016), Deep: The Baritone Sessions (2019), Things of That Nature (2019), Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2 (2021) and Fly Through It (2023). His work with the baritone guitar has become a key aspect of his writing, incorporating bass lines into the melodic language. Active both in bands and smaller formations, he takes part in various funk and fusion projects, including The Fearless Flyers, regularly performs as a session musician for soul, gospel and North American pop artists, and develops educational material around his rhythmic approach to the guitar.