Craig Wagner is recognized as one of the most versatile young guitarist on the scene today. He has been a featured performer at the Chet Atkin's Society Guitar Festival in Nashville since 1995, a festival which has showcased such jazz luminaries as Martin Taylor, Fareed Haque, Jack Wilkins and even Max Roach. Craig has also played at The Great American Guitar Show in New York, sharing the stage with guitarist such as Jimmy Bruno, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Paul Bollenback, Ron Affif, Russell Malone, Gene Bertoncini and bassist Michael Moore.
As a member of the Java Men, Craig has played at venues as large as Lollapolooza, as intimate as the Knitting Factory, and as sprawling as the New Orleans Jazz Festival where they shared the bill with acts such as Victor Wooten, the Charlie Hunter Trio, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Craig has been featured as a solo performer at the Kentucky Arts Council's Master Musicians Festival and is a regular performer at the Nashville NAMM show. His work has been featured in publications such as Guitar Player, Guitar One, Acoustic Guitar, Just Jazz Guitar, 20th Century Guitar, Vintage Guitar, Keyboard Magazine, The Village Voice, Cadence, Spin, and many others.
Craig graduated from Bellarmine University with a Bachelor's Degree in Music in 1993. He has studied or taken master classes with Christopher Parkening, Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Attila Zoeller, Jack Wilkins, Howard Roberts, Gene Bertoncini, Cal Collins, Howard Alden and many others. In addition to his duties at the University of Louisville, Craig currently teaches at Steilberg String Instruments and for the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops.
Mel Bay's "Master Anthology of Jazz Guitar Solos" features Craig's solo on Spiders. He has also written articles for their "Guitar Sessions" which included recordings of his solo guitar work. He has recently completed several new finger-style guitar arrangements of jazz standards for a project in conjunction with Warner Bros and Mel Bay. In 1998 he released an instructional/performance video for Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop video series whose impressive catalog features rare archival footage Alan Lomax's American Patchwork Series for The Smithsonian Institution, performances by Wes Montgomery and lessons by Joe Pass, Larry Coryell, Martin Taylor and many other jazz greats.
Craig's recording career includes Letter to St Paul (1994), Void (1999) and Orbituary (2000) with the Java Men. Recordings by the Java Men stay in regular rotation on many college and NPR stations around the country. He also has a solo recording, Color of a Mirror (1999). Craig has endorsements with luthier John Buscarino and Thomastik-Infeld String Company of Austria.
Howdy Craig! I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for taking the time to accept us as your friend, and listening to our music. We appreciate the gesture and are grateful that you enjoyed our tunes enough to add us to your community of friends. After all, having people connect with our music is why we do this. I hope you'll come by often to say hello and let us know what's happening with you, and when you have a spare moment, please visit our brand new webpage at www. crosstimbersbluegrass. com there you can listen to more of our music and find out more about us. Feel free to sign the guestbook! (And if you have any ideas about how we could improve the webpage, be sure to let us know)
All my best and thank you again, Matt (the bass player) Cross Timbers
craig, youre up there on my list of favorite guitar players and I've only seen ya play once, with Tessa Souter in Indianapolis...your set was after ours at the Jazz Kitchen. When do you play next?! get some dates up there for your fans, or maybe some clubs you play at...I might even drive down from indy to see ya kick it and take names...thanks man!
Heard some great music Saturday night walking Frankfort Ave. Turned out most of it was coming from your guitar. I told PJ it was you from a block away. Didn't recognize the new axe?
Mandelbrots live in concert! 4th of April, Twenty O'eight Lisa's Oak St. Lounge w/ Parade Schedule y Aby Laby Land 9:00pm(louisville time) See you there!
It was great to finally see you guys (Jazz Factory - Thursday night). Unfortunately, from my angle I couldn't see you play, but what I heard was really cool.
Hi Craig. I just wanted to let you know what a great show you all did at the Jazz Factory last week. It was really enjoyable. I'll catch up with you again soon.
Craig Great playing! I met one of your students the other night. Jonathan Epley. My band opened up for his band. He was great. My teacher back home Joe Braccio plays Buscarino too. They are great guitars.
