Artist description Mark shows influences from many styles and artists. His songs range from tender ballads to hard-driving Bluegrass to topical songs taken from the headlines. His instrumentals cover the gamut from Appalachian-sounding fiddle tunes to Latin-flavored Jazz.

Music Style Singer/Songwriter, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz

Musical Influences Beatles, Bill Monroe, James Taylor, Tom Paxton, Mike Marshall, David Grisman, Tony Rice

Similar Artists Michael Nesmith, Russ Barenberg

Artist History Mark began with piano lessons, but switched to strings when he heard the Beatles, and he hasn't looked back since. During High School he played rock-and-roll and blues before finding folk and folk-rock via James Taylor, Carol King and Bob Dylan. From there, Mark began playing bluegrass and old-timey stringband music, a musical love affair that still continues. Once he heard the David Grisman quintet, Mark began exploring acoustic jazz. All of these influences can be heard in his original compositions.

Instruments Guitar, banjo, mandolin, mandola, fiddle, dobro, bass, piano.

Albums Table for One, No One Else (with the Middle Spunk Creek Boys). A solo CD is scheduled for release by Christmas, 2002.

Press Reviews "The addition a couple of years ago of Madison transplant Mark Kreitzer gave [the Middle Spunk Creek Boys] a shot in the collective arm. Kreitzer gives The Middle Spunk Creek Boys a new sound and feelThat his entry into Spunkdom would shake the clubhouse rafters is inevitable, since he's a prolific songwriter and plays about three thousand instruments." by Adam Granger, Inside Bluegrass, December 2000, vol. 26 No. 12 "Mark Kreitzer's "Little Willie's Return" and "He Died Alone" are topical compositions that could have been snatched right from the headlines of today's newspapers." by Les McIntyre, copyright 2000 by Bluegrass Unlimited "Bluegrass is merely their (the Middle Spunk Creek Boys) jumping-off point. To that, they add smooth, Peter-Paul-without-Mary vocals and, since they write most of their own material, modern folk and folk-rock progressions and melodies, and nice rhythmic touchesMark Kreitzer wrote eight of the album's nine originals "Time and Time Again," [] by Mr. Kreitzer [is] also uptempo. Probably the best way to describe it is to have you think of Michael Nesmith's "What Am I Doin' Hanging 'Round" but with more of a quirky rhythm to the wordsAfter a few more originals, including "My Luck Has Changed" with its intriguing 5/4 bridge, the album closes with what has quickly become a favorite of mine; "There's No One Else," a slow, pensive number that sounds like the kind of work done by the rock group the Jayhawks. If it were possible to wear out a CD from repeated play, that cut would be in danger." Copyright 1999 Bluegrass Unlimited

Additional Info Please check out Mark's band, the Middle Spunk Creek Boys at mscb.com.

Location Minneapolis, Minnesota - USA

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