Guitar virtuoso Mark Lettieri will play on the last day of the BRIDGE Guitar Festival with the Metropole Orkest at the Muziekgebouw. The American - the funky king of the baritone guitar - is thus returning to the city where he lived for a few years as a boy. In this episode of Guns about Guitars, we delve into the path the virtuoso took between his departure from and return to Eindhoven.

On a brisk Thursday evening in November 2021, I witnessed a sublime performance by the Mark Lettieri Group at Lantaren Venster in Rotterdam. Midway through the concert, one of the attendees couldn't contain his excitement any longer and burst out with an unadulterated Dutch compliment. Lettieri didn't understand what was said, but briefly responded to the remark. Almost in passing, he said, "Watch what you're saying, I lived in Eindhoven."

I nudged the two friends I was with at the concert. "Did I hear that correctly? Mark Lettieri in Eindhoven?" On the train back, I quickly Googled the obvious query: Mark Lettieri Eindhoven. No results indicated what I thought I had heard. Oh well, maybe I had completely misheard it and it was all a big mindfuck.

Mark in Eindhoven

I learned a few weeks ago that the internet doesn't have all the answers. I was speaking with Mark for a podcast recording when I asked him outright, "Mark, either I had a brief moment of hearing loss, or you lived in Eindhoven. Which of the two options is true?"

"The second," replied the amiable American.

"Ah, so I'm not crazy after all," I said relieved. "But tell me, how, what, why?"

"My father worked in the vicinity of San Francisco as a PR man for various tech companies. In the late eighties, he got a job in the PR department at Philips in Eindhoven. Our whole family went with him. I was, I think, five years old, and we lived there until I was seven or eight."

"Do you remember anything from that time?" I asked.

"Yeah, oddly enough, quite a lot. I was obviously quite young, but old enough to have active memories. I attended the international school, where I had a good time. I also remember De Bijenkorf. And the Tongelreep swimming pool. And the Evoluon. Does that still exist?"

"Yes, it does. An icon of the city. Have you ever been back to your old house?"

"Yes, when we played at the Muziekgebouw a few years ago with Snarky Puppy, I took an Uber to that house. I had sent my father a message to ask for the exact address because I didn't remember it myself, of course. It was very surreal to see that place. It all felt very familiar. In the end, I didn't ring the doorbell. I thought that would be a bit too much."

Off the PR Path

Once back in America, it seemed for a long time that Mark would follow in his parents' footsteps in PR. He moved from California to Texas to study PR and Marketing at the university in Forth Worth. When he started his internship, he realized that a career as a musician would be a more suitable path to pursue. "During my student days, I played a lot of sessions. Often for gospel musicians. I learned a lot from them. You can still hear that gospel background in my playing. I didn't go to conservatory, but I was lucky to have a few very good private teachers," Mark recounts about that time. "My parents helped me a lot in my decision to become a musician. My mother also made the switch from a career in PR to artistry. And my father is, at heart, actually a writer. So, as artistic people themselves, they understood where my true passion lay."

The king of the baritone guitar

Gradually, Lettieri's name began to circulate more and more in the musical world in and around Dallas and Fort Worth. This also brought him into contact with Michael League, the founder, bandleader, and bassist of Snarky Puppy. Lettieri has been associated with this renowned adventurous jazz band for years now. "It's the perfect band for me. We do a lot of cool things together, and at the same time, I have plenty of space for my own projects," Mark says about the collaboration.

Meanwhile, his own projects have somewhat surpassed the work with 'Snarky'. He has released seven solo albums, including the fantastic ‘Spark and Echo’ from 2016. And for those who want to get acquainted with Lettieri's work: listen to both parts 1 and 2 of 'The Baritone Sessions'. There you'll hear delightful funky rock where Lettieri blends the best of funky artists like Prince, Sly & The Family Stone, and Parliament Funkadelic with guitar virtuosity akin to that of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, two of the American's great heroes. On those albums, he emerges as the king of the baritone guitar: an instrument that is slightly larger and thus capable of producing lower tones than a regular electric guitar.

With his funk comrade Cory Wong, Lettieri has also made waves with The Fearless Flyers: a band in which Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart also plays. Lettieri's playing is characterized by being both adventurous and enjoyable to listen to and danceable. A place on the golden ratio that few musicians manage to find. How does that sound? For example, listen to this home recording of 'Gigantactis'. If you can sit still while listening to it, there's something seriously wrong with your groove organ. Speaking of groove, also check out these delightful riffs.

Orchestral work

At the beginning of this year, Lettieri recorded a session with the renowned German WDR Big Band. In it, you can hear that his playing lends itself beautifully to a more orchestral setting. This bodes well for Mark's show during the BRIDGE Guitar Festival.

"It must be special to return to this city specifically with such a special show as with the Metropole Orkest," I asked Mark when I spoke to him.

"Yes, absolutely. I'm extremely happy with this opportunity anyway. As a musician, I couldn't wish for anything else. I've played with the Metropole Orkest before with Snarky Puppy. They were phenomenal. I hope I can bring my own family and maybe my parents to the concert. It would be very nice to experience this with them, especially in Eindhoven."

For those who also want to be part of it: if you google Mark Lettieri Eindhoven nowadays, you'll quickly find the information on how to make that happen.