[ WM ] In addition to the other session work you do, you appeared on both the new Peter Thorn and Tori Kelly albums. How did you end up playing on both of these two rather diverse releases?
[ Mark ] Pete’ s thing was pretty simple, we got to know each other through Tim Pierce, the session guitar legend. I’ ve known Tim for quite a few years now and he invited me on the Tim and Pete Show, which is his internet guitar show. So that’ s where Pete and I became friends. Pete just sent me an email saying,“ Hey man, I’ m making a record, would you be into playing a solo on it?” I love Pete’ s playing and Pete’ s music. He sent me the files via email and I just recorded it and sent it back to him, and that was that. I think he picked the tune he felt like I would shine on, it was kind of a funky weird space-rock tune so I wrote a weird funky Space Rock guitar solo for him( laughs). You know what, I think Lari’ s on that record too, Lari Basilio. So there you go, she’ s doing the same thing I am.
And then Tori Kelly’ s record … actually the first session I did I didn’ t even know it was for her until a few weeks later( laughs). I work for Kirk Franklin a lot, doing projects for him on things he produces. He’ s based here in town in Arlington. So I go to his studio every now and then and just cut tracks for him, and this one just happened to be for Tori. It was cool, she came in one day and was there for the recording process on a couple tunes. The rest we did just me and Kirk and an engineer. A lot of the tracks were already produced and I did the guitars. So that was really cool, obviously she’ s an incredible writer with an incredible voice. With her and Kirk it’ s a really cool match up. I’ m excited to hear it, I’ ve only heard one or two tunes; she put out two singles and they sound amazing. A lot of times when you do these recording sessions for people you don’ t hear the finished product until the records out. So I’ m hoping I sound good( laughs).
[ WM ] While it’ s not‘ super-cool’ in the worship world, I’ ve been an Ibanez endorser playing
Mark’ s Ibanez S470
primarily S Series guitars for a long time. So, when I came across the Instagram post about your first Strat getting stolen and your Dad buying you the green S470, I have to admit that the photo triggered a bit of an Ibanez bonding experience if you will. Can you tell us more about that guitar?
[ Mark ] At fifteen the thought of a thousanddollar guitar was impossible. I think the thought that it was even five hundred bucks or whatever it was, was like,“ Sorry Dad!” you know( laughs)! But at that point it was clear that this was something I was really serious about, so hopefully I’ ve paid him back for it with other things by now. I’ m very thankful for that.
I think I picked that style of guitar because I was really into Ibanez guitars at the time because I was a huge Joe Satriani fan. But I didn’ t want to get the Joe Satriani guitar. I thought that was his guitar and that he should have that and I should have my own. So the S kind of looked like the JS a little bit, so I got it. That was my main guitar for four years until I was able to get another Stratocaster.
I think the Ibanez was the only guitar I had at the time with Humbuckers so I think I wanted to explore that a little bit, it definitely wasn’ t a single-coil guitar. But I played everything on it, man. Everything I was into at the time I played on that guitar, which was everything from Satriani to Van Halen to Charlie Hunter, really. That was the first guitar I took to college
actually. So when I started my first jam band or whatever it was, that was my main guitar. Then slowly the Strat kind of took over because I guess that was the sound I was hearing in my head. I was getting more into Jeff Beck and Wayne Krantz and Funk and stuff like that. Of course you could play any of those styles on
any guitar, but I guess the Fender thing became more my sound.
But Ibanez did wonders for me, all of the music theory I learned as a teenager I learned on that
guitar. I think I even used that guitar for my little audition for the Jazz band in high school. I’ ll never sell it, I’ ll never get rid of it. And now I have a nice expensive Ibanez. I have an AV guitar, which is super cool, the new one that they put out with the roasted maple neck. I have a one-of-a-kind prototype, actually, that’ s the same electronics and everything but it’ s a color that’ s not in production, black and white. And actually, with a custom neck shape that they built for me. It’ s a little rounder and less flat than the production neck.
[ WM ] The guitar you’ re probably best known for playing is the blue Grosh NOS Retro that you can really hear in the‘ solo’ video from the Peace House Sessions. So, how did you get hooked up with the folks at Ibanez?
Grosh NOS Retro // Mark Lettieri“ Peace House Sessions”
[ Mark ] Actually it was through Tom Quayle, he’ s a good friend. He was over at the factory a lot, and my name had come up I suppose, so he sent me a message asking if I’ d be able to try one of his guitars. I said of course so they sent me this prototype, and it’ s awesome. They asked if I liked the neck shape, and I said I would prefer something a little more vintage and they said okay. So I sent it back, and had already written a couple tunes on it and played
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