Jazz at The Duck to host The Craig Brenner Trio

The DePauw Jazz at The Duck will feature The Craig Brenner Trio this Thursday from 8:30-10:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Called "a fine and funky pianist" by Living Blues, pianist and composer Craig Brenner is a two-time recipient of Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Program grants.

A resident of Bloomington, Brenner has been voted "Best Musician" in Bloomington numerous times in the Bloomington Independent, and Craig & The Crawdads has been chosen best band.

A graduate of Florida Southern College, Brenner attended the Indiana University School of Music from 1976-80, studying with composer John Eaton, pianists Joseph Rezits and Enrica Cavallo Gulli and jazz educator David Baker.

Brenner has also studied and performed with boogie-woogie and stride master Bob Seeley and blues pianist Big Joe Duskin through one of the grants from the Indiana Arts Commission.

The latest CD by Craig Brenner & The Crawdads, "Live to Love" (2009) recorded at Farm Fresh Studios, consists of all original music, with the first appearance on record of expressive vocalist Lori Brenner.

Craig Brenner is featured on the Cooler Kings' "Looks Like Trouble," on Cathi Norton's "Various Stages of Undress," on Piney Woods' "Big Blues Party," Sonny Carter's "Wings of Time," on CDs by Andy Ruff and the Dew Daddies and Red Eye Max, and on "Music for Memory," produced to benefit the Alzheimer's Association of Indiana.

He has also performed with Bo Didley and opened shows for B. B. King, Buckwheat Zydeco, Richard Thompson, Wayne Toups, Honeyboy Edwards, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, The Radiators, Duke Robillard, Jimmy Rogers and Terrance Simien.