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Mark Lawrence

Jazz, Rock and Funk guitarist with heavy duty electronics chops.

About Me

Mark Lawrence is a Jazz, Fusion, Funk and Blues guitarist based in Bristol, UK. Mark has a playing style of “vocalising guitar that hints at Hendrix via George Benson” and he cites the likes of John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, Buddy Guy and Kurt Rosenwinkel as prime influences. He is bandleader for the ‘Mark Lawrence Quartet‘, a “hard-nosed electric jazz-rock outfit” with “hints of Weather Report, Headhunters, even Steely Dan” (Tony Benjamin, Bristol247) and his first solo album is in production. In addition Mark works regularly with:

'Mahatmosphere' http://bit.ly/Mahatmosphere - experiments in Jazz, Rock and Ambient music. Featuring Mark Lawrence on guitar, Al Swainger on bass and Marco Anderson on drums each musician also contributes a wide palette of electronics in various configurations including pedals, laptop setups, vocoder, and eBow.

‘Groovelator’ www.groovelator.co.uk – a funky, soulful Jazz and Blues band featuring John Paul Gard on organ and Tom Gilkes on drums.

‘Diamond Dust’ www.diamonddust.info – a powerful, electric and groovy trio which fuses Jazz and Psychedelic Rock in the mode of the incredible Tony Williams Lifetime & John McLaughlin.

‘Monkey Chuckle’ www.monkeychuckle.co.uk – an explosive seven-piece funk band which has been heard on Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Show(BBC Radio 6) and in support for The Apples and The Haggis Horns.

…and has appeared at festivals including London Jazz Festival (with Sisanda Myataza), Secret Garden Party, Oxford Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Budvar stage, Teignmouth Jazz Festival, Bristol Harbour Festival, Sheep Music Festival and at numerous clubs dates across the country.

In addition to live guitar performance Mark is also a session musician, an experimental ‘computer music’ composer, an experienced sound technician and teaches guitar. Mark endorses Sonuus music products and the S-Gear software amp simulator from Scuffham Amps.