"Mark Lettieri, though a young cat, is of a dying breed, a gent whose playing is difficult to pigeonhole, though it shows antecedents in the less known work of some great players...cats like Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour, also session men and soloists whose least lauded work is their best. Those guys can fuse rock, jazz, and prog like no one's business when they've a mind to, but Lettieri does so with even greater freedom and fluidity.”
- M.S. Tucker, FAME Reviews
"Anyone who hasn't heard of Texas-based guitarist Mark Lettieri will wonder why upon listening to his debut CD, Knows. A seasoned and versatile session player, Lettieri grew up in California listening to the wide range of iconic bands that emerged from the state during the 1970s, from Steely Dan to Van Halen. Now based in the same Dallas/Fort Worth area that produced Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the guitarist fuses all of those influences and beyond into his own unique synthesis.”
- Bill Meredith, Abstract Logix
“It's a trio-quartet setting and a platform for Lettieri's good sense and interesting written launching pads. It’s beyond cliche and it shows you what he's got, which is some chops but a musical mind that works in ways that make the music worth hearing. It's not technically astute fireworks in the end. It's music. Here's a cat that's got something really nice going!”
- Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog
“You can pick out a lot of influences on this guitar man’s second jazz rocker but what it all comes down to is someone getting his Zappa on. Playing from the heart, this isn't rip off, tribute or homage, it’s just a cat that wants to shut up and play his guitar before it wants to kill your momma.”
- Chris Spector, Midwest Record
• 2017 Grammy win for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for the album Culcha Vulcha, as a member of Snarky Puppy
• 2016 Grammy win for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for the album Sylva, as a member of Snarky Puppy
• 2014 Grammy Award Winner for Best R&B Performance (Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway)
• Currently has over 84,500 Instagram followers -- his weekly GrüvSköol posts average roughly 45,000 views per post
Mark Lettieri is a guitarist, composer and producer from Fort Worth, TX. Proficient in a multitude of styles, he records and performs in virtually every genre of popular music with both independent and major-label artists. He also composes and produces original instrumental music under his own name.
Working in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex's gospel and R&B scene led Lettieri to join jazz/world group Snarky Puppy in 2008. The now three-time GRAMMY Award-winning band tours and records constantly, having performed on all continents except Antarctica.
Aside from Snarky Puppy, Lettieri has spent time on the road with neo-soul icon Erykah Badu, gospel singer/actress Tamela Mann, and American Idol: Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips. He's also performed with a myriad of other artists, including Anthony Evans, Chrisette Michele, Myron Butler, N'dambi, Bilal, and even Pat Boone.
An in-demand session guitarist, recent work includes David Crosby, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Adam Levine, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Eric Roberson, LeCrae, Lupe Fiasco, Keyshia Cole, Xzibit, as well as numerous radio and television jingles. Lettieri is also a member of Team SKP, a production collective led by Grammy Award-winning producer Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Beyonce).
Since 2010, he has been a member of the house band for the Marcus & Joni Show, a morning talk/variety show broadcast in 200 countries on Daystar, a Christian cable network.
As a composer/bandleader, Lettieri has released three albums, Knows in 2011, and Futurefun in 2013, and most recently, Spark and Echo in 2016 (Ropeadope Records). Through tours with Snarky Puppy and social media network shares, these records have created a sizable buzz among fans of instrumental guitar music worldwide. He performs frequently in a trio setting featuring a revolving rhythm section of world-class Dallas musicians, and has begun touring this music in the U.S. and Europe.