You can order Chris' new CD from:
Fifth String Music
PO Box 1393
Mission, Ks 66222-0393
CDs $15 + $1.50 shipping
Tapes $10 + $1.50 shipping
Chris Grotewohl is the next major Celtic-based 5-String banjo player
to hit the scene. His renditions of traditional tunes and his own
tastefully surprise-choked compositions are impeccable.
Every triplet, grace note and slur is in place. Though technically
demanding, there’s a joyous onrushing emotionality to much of his
music. If you need a lift, let Chris’s music be your elixir.
TONY TRISCHKA
2-17-1997
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just another banjo
album. Playing Celtic music on the 5-string banjo is hard enough, but
Chris Grotewohl’s music has world appeal. He has a great flair for
writing tunes, and as a composer myself, I really enjoy this aspect of
his talent. I like Under the Influence, and so will you.
John Whelan
Narada Recording Artist & 1983 All-Ireland Accordian
Champion
Chris Grotewohl is a remarkable musician. I never thought that Irish
music could be played successfully on the five string banjo until I
heard Chris play in a session in Kansas City, Missouri. It was hard to
believe all the sounds that I heard coming from his banjo. I had to
check to make sure that it was really a five string banjo he was playing
because he was producing the kind of phrasing and ornamentation that one
never hears on that instrument. When I listened to his CD, Under the
Influence, I knew I was listening to a musician who has immersed himself
in the music and developed a unique style that seems to evolve naturally
from the tradition. I was also most impressed by the varied repertoire
of Irish instrumental pieces he featured on the recording and also by
the quality of his own compositions. This is an excellent debut
recording.
Mick Moloney