Craig Wagner
From his album
"Color of a Mirror"
"William and Little Leigh"
Playing his 7-String Virtuoso with Kent Armstrong Floating Humbucker with Adjustable Pole Pieces

More Sound Clips
Beyond The Veil
Billie Jean
El Prairieachi
It'll Never Happen
Premonition

Craig Wagner began playing guitar when he was fifteen, after meeting Doc and Merle Watson backstage at a bluegrass festival. Although it was the acoustic guitar sound that fascinated him initially, the first music he played was rock. His first learning experiences were drawn from the sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Cream.

After high school, he furthered his musical studies at Bellarmine College in Louisville, where he studied with Jeff Sherman. There Craig was introduced to jazz and encouraged to perform in ensembles and learn music theory. While at Bellarmine, he was fortunate to attend classes with jazz giants such as Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Jim Hall, Howard Roberts, Herb Ellis and Attila Zoeller. He received his bachelor's degree in Guitar Performance (with an emphasis on jazz) in 1993 and began making his living through private lessons and performing. His main creative outlets, besides solo guitar pursuits, have been with his jazz trio, Java Men. The group plays original jazz compositions (most composed or arranged by Wagner) and has produced three successful CD's.

Craig has been a regularly featured performer and workshop presenter at the annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He has also been a guitar instructor in the well-known Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshop series. Presently he performing, arranging, teaching and writing new guitar music. He looks forward to teaching at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2002.

Craig endorses Thomastik-Infeld strings and plays 7-string guitars crafted by John Buscarino. To contact Craig about purchasing his solo album Color of a Mirror, please call 502-767-8650. For more information about his band, Java Men, check out their website at www.javamen.com.

"Last year while attending a Chet Atkins appreciation society event in Nashville, I caught a young jazz guitarist performing a few solo sets which, knocked me and everyone else out. You can't confuse Craig Wagner with anyone else. At twenty-four years of age, Craig has incredible chops and command of the instrument as well as a sound all his own."
- Ed Benson, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, 1998.