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Craig Brenner

Called "a fine and funky pianist" by Living Blues, pianist and composer Craig Brenner has been voted "Best Musician" in Bloomington, IN numerous times in the Bloomington Independent; Craig Brenner & the Crawdads have been selected best band in the same poll. A graduate of Florida Southern College, Craig attended the Indiana University School of Music from 1976 through 1980, studying with composer John Eaton, pianists Joseph Rezits and Enrica Cavallo Gulli, and jazz educator David Baker. Craig has also studied with boogie woogie and stride master Bob Seeley and blues pianist Big Joe Duskin through a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission.

Craig's first recording is "Backstage Boogie" (1990) with drummer Dan Hostetler. His second, "Play it Again, Professor!" (1995) includes award-winning conga drummer and Professor Longhair collaborator Alfred "Uganda" Roberts, drummers Kenny Aronoff and Tim Brookshire, guitarists Gordon Bonham and Stuart Norton, bassists Brian Lappin and John Huber, tenor sax-man Dennis Riggins, and trombonists Tim Riggins and Dave Pavolka. Craig's third recording is the jazzy CD "Man At the Piano" (1997) featuring the Crawdads.

"Window On the Soul," recorded at Echo Park Studios, Bloomington, IN, includes 10 original compositions and features Craig's sons Eli and Nate Brenner as well as Gordon Bonham, Tim Brookshire, James Campbell, Jeff Chapin, Joe Donnelly, Bob Dubinski, Pat Harbison, Janiece Jaffe, Jane McLeod, Jerry Morris, Stuart Norton, Dave Pavolka, Sonja Rasmussen, Mark Robinson, Sue Swaney, Pete Wilhoit and others.

The latest album by Craig Brenner & the Crawdads, "Live to Love," recorded at Farm Fresh Studios in Bloomington, was released in July of 2009. It features all original music, with the first appearance on record of vocalist Lori Brenner, who sings lead on six of the ten tunes.

Craig is also featured on the Cooler Kings' CD "Looks Like Trouble" on the Slippery Noodle label, on Cathi Norton's "Various Stages of Undress" on Flat Rock Records, and on releases by Piney Woods Blues Party, Andy Ruff and the Dew Daddies, and Red Eye Max.

Listen to Craig at Pandora or CDBaby, or watch on YouTube.

Gear

Baldwin Grand; Yamaha P-120 digital piano.


Tags

35

Performance / Tour

Craig & Lori Brenner to Perform in Concert at the Ann Arbor District Library

Craig & Lori Brenner to Perform in Concert at the Ann Arbor District Library

Source: Craig Brenner

Pianist/composer Craig Brenner and his wife Lori Brenner will perform in concert on March 29, 2012, at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, tel. (734) 327-4200. The concert will begin at 7PM. Called “a fine and funky pianist" by Living Blues magazine, Craig Brenner has also been voted Best Musician in Bloomington, Indiana by the Bloomington Independent. Lori Brenner adds vocals and percussion to many of Craig's original blues, jazz, and boogie ...

139

Interview

Craig Brenner & the Crawdads "Live to Love" Reviewed by George Fish

Craig Brenner & the Crawdads "Live to Love" Reviewed by George Fish

Source: Michael Ricci

Bloomington, Indiana's Craig Brenner & the Crawdads have a new CD, “Live to Love," that not only romps with boogie and blues, but also with jazz, R&B and even country in a delightful potpourri of ten original songs. Craig Brenner, leader of the group and composer, lyricist and arranger of all ten original numbers on the CD, is an exemplar of what can happen when formal musical training meets deep-inside soulfulness and creativity. Brenner graduated from Florida Southern College in ...

151

Performance / Tour

Craig Brenner Featured at New Orleans Jazz National Park During 1st Weekend of Jazz Fest

Craig Brenner Featured at New Orleans Jazz National Park During 1st Weekend of Jazz Fest

Source: Michael Ricci

Craig Brenner to Perform at the Jazz National Park on April 24, 2010, 2 p.m. Pianist Craig Brenner will perform at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park on Saturday, April 24, from 2 - 3:30 p.m. The Park is located at 916 N. Peters in the French Quarter, New Orleans, LA. Called “a fine and funky pianist" by Living Blues, pianist and composer Craig Brenner is a graduate of Florida Southern College who attended the Indiana University School of ...

Primary Instrument

Piano

Location

Indianapolis

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

A graduate of Florida Southern College, Craig attended the Indiana University School of Music from 1976 through 1980, studying with composer John Eaton, pianists Joseph Rezits and Enrica Cavallo Gulli, and jazz educator David Baker. Craig has also studied with boogie woogie and stride master Bob Seeley and blues pianist Big Joe Duskin through a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission. Craig has sheet music of original piano compositions, available at his web site - craigbrenner.com or to his students

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live to Love

Craig Brenner Music
2009

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