The Snarky Puppy virtuoso delivers a set of crisp funk-fusion, touching on everything from Steely Dan jazzisms to an ’80s dance party. Part of Lettieri’s charm is that he’s an absolute beast on six-string, but never forgets groove and taste – even when melting the frets off.

“Dragonfly” has soaring, Lukather-tinged leads next to a baritone riff, while “Black Iris” turns down the heat for clean, extra-wobbly guitar. Lettieri’s love of Jeff Beck is heard on “Blankworld” with El Becko-styled licks and burp-gun effects. Evoking a joyous MTV vibe, “Shimmy Tiger” has an overdriven melody over DX7-style synthesizer tones – a defining sound of the period – while “Saturday Stuff” is a straight-up Prince boogie. On the debit side, there’s yet another version of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” an ’80s warhorse covered too frequently.

Grabbing his PRS baritone once again, Lettieri brings on the fat funk for “Neural Net,” using the kind of crazy-tight rhythms that bring to mind Paul Jackson, Jr., David Williams, Nile Rodgers, and other compressor kingpins.

So… can we tell you something? Lettieri is a monster player, brimming with finesse, funk, and fury.

This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.