The Fearless Flyers

The Fearless Flyers is an American instrumental funk project that emerged in 2018, bringing together bassist Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), guitarists Cory Wong and Mark Lettieri, and drummer Nate Smith in a groove-centered quartet. Rooted in the North American funk and jazz scene, the band develops concise, direct pieces where repetitive bass lines, precise guitar riffs and dry drumming structure instrumental tracks that feel like vignettes, at the crossroads of 1970s funk, modern soul and jazz fusion. The group drew attention with a self-titled EP in 2018, recorded live, and followed with The Fearless Flyers II (2019), Tailwinds (2020) and The Fearless Flyers III (2022), solidifying a repertoire conceived as much for video capture as for the stage. The members continue their parallel work with Vulfpeck, Snarky Puppy and various jazz projects, anchoring The Fearless Flyers in a network of musicians accustomed to the intersections of funk, instrumental pop and improvisation.