Guitarra Parra is instrumental music from Chris Bihuniak and friends.
It's a mix of jazz, blues, rock and latin music with an emphasis on guitar.
Chris was born in Panama in 1967 and has lived in Brazil, Austria, Spain and the USA. He currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
As an ASCAP recording artist with 20 albums, children's music awards and performance experience since 1982, Chris continues to be an evolving artist.
Guitarra parra in Spanish translates to "guitar climbing vine."
2025 Recordings
The "Dos Cortados" LP includes songs mostly written in Spain in the Summer of 2024. "Private Garden" was written in England and "Guna Mola" was written in Panama.
This was the first Guitarra Parra album to feature flute, saxophone and trumpet. The album was recorded in Kansas City in the Winter of 2024-2025.
Musicians: Dos Cortados LP
Chris Bihuniak: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, EWI, drums.
Davis Michaelsen: Keyboards on Awake Again, Goodbye Fly (Live), Azahar Templar II, Awake yet Again.
Patrick Selley: Bass on Medusa, Goodbye Fly (Live), Azahar Templar II, Awake yet Again.
Kurt Tilton: Drums on Locura I and II, Azahar Templar I and II, Goodbye Fly (Live).
Lee Brandt: Drums on Azibi, Morning Ritual.
Luke Welsh: Drums on Awake, Medusa.
Jazzy Jazz Miyagi: Flute on Awake, Private Garden.
Dylan Reed: Alto Saxophone on Medusa, Locura I.
Charlie Fisher: Trumpet on Azibi, Locura II.
Review #1 - Tommy A
I really enjoyed having this on while I did some drawing. Honestly was great to make this list because I had to go back after to recognize what song I remembered things from and kept finding more cool things. I kept feeling the vibe and not even realizing the song had changed. The way the songs are ordered and the way the album is structured really keep you interested.
Morning Ritual - Lead guitar is really cool sounds very tight and fusiony.
Private Garden - Wonderful to listen to - the flute is so expressive. So cool too with the drum machine type beat coming in at the end.
Medusa - Hypnotic. It felt like a journey and it kind of dragged me into itself. Loved the dynamics of it all- beautifully choreographed.
Gina Mola had some interesting dissonances with the lead guitar around 1:30 I loved - liked the chill vibe of this one, felt like hearing a band across the street sitting at a little cafe or something.
Abizi - Loved the switch up here - made me start moving very groovy with kind of a desert heat to it.
Awake - The groove change around 1:00 is nice- very sharp guitar work here- the drums really give it all life.
Locura I - The atmospheric effects throughout really add depth. Feels like something you’d hear at a swanky jazz club - very tasteful.
Azahar Templar - The repeating walk up riff brought a rock element that really worked. The breakdown chord progression and sounds really perked my ears up and then that drop out part. Fantasticly groovy.
Aragon Rain - Nice interlude. It had a Medieval feeling to it and was delightfully delicate after Azahar Templar.
Awake Again - I thought the callback to "Awake" was well handled and the piano/keys were super well phrased and added a super cool feeling to everything.
Goodbye Fly - The live production sounded great and I always have enjoyed the melody on this one.
Locura II - Very much evoked the same feelings as Locura, super smooth.
Azahar Templar II - Love the inventive synth lines and all the excitement on this one- would be a great song to listen to in the car.
Awake Yet Again - The production on this had some awesome things going on- loved the sparkles. Impressed that you were able to really differentiate the 3 different "Awake" songs. Never felt like you were retreading too much ground and it really anchors things nicely.
Review #2 - Luke W
Excellent flute and horns throughout, and interesting mixing. Lots of subtleties from the 3/2 claves to reverbs and other guitar effects.
Loved Azibi. Aragon Rain was a lovely interlude. Azahar Templar II was fire, especially the multiple synths and its general avant garde-ness.
And I enjoyed the reiterations of Awake that appeared later in the album. My favorite of them was probably Awake yet Again. As an instrumental album, it flows nicely from song to song in a way that I'd rather listen in its entirety over a couple cortados.
Your live recording of Goodbye Fly sounded excellent! You should do a live album.
Review #3- Brandon M
Spent some quality windshield time with Dos Cortados. Wow! It's my favorite guitarra parra record start to finish.
I want all of my mixes to sound like Morning Ritual. Soon after I declared Azahar Templar my favorite track, Azahar Templar II beat it. With Azahar Templar II, I wanted to reduce the boom of the kick drum a little and gently boost the snare but it might have been because I was listening in my car.
Loved the arrangements, loved the sonic textures, horns, sax, and flute were brilliant. Guitars, keys, and bass fit nicely and the parts seemed so well thought out and executed with precision.
I hope you're really proud of this effort because you should be.
Review #4- Ali H
Wow! What a great release. I think my favorite of the series.
Standouts for me - Morning Ritual, has a killer bass and guitar solo.Love the mix on Awake Again, spatial, super clean and lovely keys. Washed out trumpet so cool on Locura II and the double line with the guitar slide!
Azibi captures the fine line between Spanish and Middle Eastern riffs. Trumpet is awesome with the distortion guitar. Azhar Templar II - the bubbling keyboard and then that synth lead are wonderful.
Flute is beautiful on Private Garden, nice mix between the guitar tones. Azahar I like the build up riff, drums and the drop - very soundtrack like. Goodbye Fly (live) very pleasant mix. Brass in Medusa is ethereal.
Overall just a nice mix with some good vibes!
2024 Recordings
The "Black Box" album was released in August 2024 and features the Guitarra Parra quartet. The 14-song album was produced in Kansas City, Missouri and has 6 studio tracks, 5 live recordings and 3 remixes.
Musicians: BLACK BOX LP
Chris Bihuniak: Guitar
Davis Michaelsen: Keyboards
Patrick Selley: Bass
Kurt Tilton: Drums
Prior to releasing the "Black Box" album, Chris recorded an EP and single. "Dusk" contained songs written in Colorado, London and Grand Cayman. "Reyka" was inspired after a trip to Iceland.
Musician: DUSK EP and REYKA Single
Chris Bihuniak: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drums.
2023 Recordings
The 2023 Guitarra Parra two-album project is mixture of songs written in Spain, England and New York City.
It also contained instrumental versions of songs that were previously recorded for My Formula and Appetite 85.
Musicians: FUSION LP
Chris Bihuniak: Guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, EWI.
Kurt Tilton: Drums on Dos Martillos, Stop, Avenue B, London Lift, Algo Nuevo.
Luke Welsh: Drums on Exotico, Cuppa, Hollow.
Chaney Butner: Drums on Waiting Too Long, Rise.
Max Bunte: Drums on Mind The Gap, Cross Town Walk, Ahead Behind. Keyboard solos on Stop, Cross Town Walk.
Tyler King: Harp on Avenue B.
Chris Thompson: Bass guitar on Dos Martillos, Stop, Avenue B, Ahead Behind.
Tommy Auckland: Keyboards on Cuppa, Ahead Behind, Tools In My Head.
Musicians: VISTA LP
Chris Bihuniak: Guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, EWI.
Kurt Tilton: Drums on Be Free, Pleasure, Peace On A Prairie
Luke Welsh: Drums on Water.
Chaney Butner: Drums on Monasterio, Organico.
Max Bunte: Drums on Camino.
Tyler King: Harp on Bridge to Cam.
After spending time in Valencia, Spain, Chris was inspired to write and record songs with a Spanish style.
The compositions were written for two acoustic guitars and hand percussion. Chris performed every part and recorded 20 songs in his home studio in less than one month.
The song "Esperanza (Hope)" has over 18 million streams.
2024 Live Videos
Quartet
Trio
Duo
Solo
Reviews...
"It is fantastic chill music. I think it would be great for a dinner party." - Jeff N.
"Excellent stuff, you really sound great. I pick up some Brazilian sound, must be from your youth growing up in Sao Paulo." - Chris S.
"Listened to your album today while baking biscotti... loved the vibe." - Colleen K.
"Muy buen album, felicidades, me gusto mucho!!" - Carlos S.
"I really respect the amount of work you've put into all this man - it's really well done - so super chill." - Jack M.
"Hollow is my favorite so far. Makes me think of Edgar Winter. I can also hear Lindsey Buckingham and John Scofield in some the others. Avenue B is muy second favorite." - Ricky M.
"I'm enjoying your album as I am working at my desk this morning. I love its electric jazzy feel on a sunny snowy morning." - Dan D.
"Damn dude!! That sounds awesome!! I'm also a HUGE jazz fusion fan, so I DIG the new stuff, man." - Lee B.
"Ive been fusing all day. I really like Waiting Too Long." - Steve S.
"This is really good album... even if you're not a fan of fusion." - Tyler K.
"Of course I enjoyed the guitar, but it was the tracks with another instrument that stood out to me and caught my ear off guard." - Tony S.
"It's really awesome. I love it!" - Tammy B.
"It's lovely! My favorite is Motivate. I hear that fusion sound." - Tina M
"Ran a 5k this morning bumping Vista all the way. Love Pulpo and Water. All so good" - Brooks B
"Gave me some Brasil flashbacks." - Mark B
"Super crafty chord progressions! That flute is on point!" - Tyler J
"It's a super HIP album to VIBE to Chris." - Jazzy J
