Mark Whitfield

An accomplished guitarist whose approach bridges straight-ahead jazz and soul-infused R&B, Mark Whitfield was born in 1966 in Lindenhurst, New York. He began his musical journey on bass before turning to guitar near the age of fifteen. Early inspiration came from the warm, soulful phrasing of George Benson, and that admiration helped secure him a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston. After completing his studies in 1987, he relocated to New York, where Benson personally introduced him to organist Jack McDuff—an introduction that proved pivotal in establishing his professional path. From there, Whitfield shared stages with an array of jazz luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Art Blakey, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, and Stanley Turrentine.

His recording career commenced with the 1990 Warner Bros. release The Marksman. Subsequent projects included the 1991 album Patrice and the self-titled Mark Whitfield in 1993. He later signed with Verve, issuing the acclaimed True Blue in 1994 and Forever Love in 1997 before concluding the association with 1999’s Take the Ride. A 2000 project for the Jazz Channel alongside Joel Kipnis, also known as JK, spotlighted his deeper R&B leanings. That same year he documented a concert date on the live recording Raw, featuring pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Brandon Owens, and drummer Donald Edwards. In 2005 he issued the stylistically broad Mark Whitfield Featuring Panther, followed in 2009 by Songs of Wonder, an homage to longtime influence Stevie Wonder. His contributions to Kenny Garrett’s 2013 album Pushing the World Away earned a Grammy Award nomination. Whitfield returned in 2017 with Grace, spotlighting his family band that includes sons drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr. and pianist Davis Whitfield.