1. Craig, Lori and Tim Brookshire entertained at the 2008 Palette to Palate Silent Art Auction and Benefit for the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, Inc., on April 12. Over 100 artists donated works for auction and the event raised more than $15,000 for the Community Kitchen.

2. Watch Craig & the Crawdads on YouTube.com

3. Craig returned to New Orleans for the 2nd week of Jazz Fest again in 2008 and played at the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park in the French Quarter on Saturday, May 3. This was his 4th appearance at the Jazz Park. Previous performances included playing as Craig & the Crawdads featuring Alfred Uganda Roberts, Lori and Andrea, and playing solo piano.

4. Craig is featured on the Across Indiana television show produced by WFYI for public television. With Jeff Chapin on drums, Craig recorded at WFYI for Across Indiana Program Number 1805.

5. Craig, Gordon Bonham, Jim Bracken, Brian Lappin & Tim Brookshire - also known as the Ragin' Texans - will reunite and perform again this June. See Craig's schedule of upcoming performances for details.

6. The April 18, 2007 issue of NUVO weekly lists the top 5 Blues Bands in Indiana. Craig & the Crawdads and the Gordon Bonham Blues Band - Gordon plays guitar with Craig & the Crawdads - are the two top bands! Read the article at NUVO.net

7. Listen to Craig free at Pandora.com - created by the Music Genome Project - which streams music free to your computer! When prompted to create a station, enter Craig Brenner or the name of one of Craig's songs, and Pandora will stream music to your computer. Try this technology that is changing the way we listen to and share music.

You can also listen to all tracks from "Window on the Soul" at CD Baby.

8. Craig & the Crawdads helped Middle Way House, which provides services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, at the New Year's Eve Extravaganza on Dec. 31, 2006 at the Fourwinds Resort & Marina on Lake Monroe. Those attending enjoyed robust hors d'oeuvres, champagne at midnight, and dancing to Craig & the Crawdads!

WFHB Community Radio 91.3 & 98.1 FM, the media sponsor, recorded the festivities - listen at WFHB News.

9. Craig received a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission to study with Bob Seeley and Big Joe Duskin, two giants of boogie woogie and blues piano. A boogie woogie concert was presented by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department at the end of the grant period, on June 2, 2007, in Bryan Park, Bloomington, IN. In addition to funding from the Indiana Arts Commission, Canine Companions and Bloomington Parks and Recreation, additional funding was provided by the Bloomington Community Arts Commission and City of Bloomington Office of the Mayor, with support by the Hilton Garden Inn of Bloomington.

10. Craig recently returned to the Cincy Blues Fest's Arches Piano Stage with Lori, Andrea and drummer Johnny Vidacovich. Other pianists included Bob Seeley and Henry Butler. It was Craig's 4th appearance at the festival. His 1997 performance was recorded by the Blues Foundation and broadcast live on the most widely distributed blues radio show in the world, "Beale Street Caravan."

11. Craig and drummer Dan Hostetler's 12-song recording "Backstage Boogie" is available on CD! It showcases Craig's Barrelhouse style. Craig's recordings are available directly from CraigBrenner.com.

Two CD release parties benefiting the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard accompanied the release. Craig, Gordon, Andrea and Lori entertained full houses of folks who brought food donations, and a portion of the proceeds from CD sales and all food went to the Food Bank and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

12. "Window On the Soul" has ten original tunes recorded at Echo Park Studios in Bloomington. Joining Craig are sons Eli and Nate on percussion and bass, Jeff Chapin on drums, guitarists Gordon Bonham and Mark Robinson, clarinetist James Campbell, trumpeter Pat Harbison, trombonist Dave Pavolka, jazz French horn player Jerry Morris, bari saxist Joe Donnelly, violinist Andrea Carter, Stuart Norton on blues harp, vocalists Janiece Jaffe, Sue Swaney, Sonja Rasmussen, and Jane McLeod, and percussionists Robert Dubinski and Tim Brookshire. Mark Hood engineered and mixed.

13. Alfred Uganda Roberts, conga drummer on Craig's CDs and on live Crawdads performances south of the Mason-Dixon line, received the Sidney Bechet Award for Innovation at the 2005 New Orleans International Music Colloquium. Congratulations, Alfred!

14. Check out Nate Brenner's jazz trio Beep at beeptrio.com and his indie rock band Amos Payne on My Space. Beep's new CD is now available! Contact Nate at the Beep Trio web site for information.

15. Craig & the Crawdads play for many weddings and receptions as well as at festivals and private parties throughout the U.S. If you want world-class entertainment at your event, contact Craig at 812-334-0415 or e-mail brennerc@bloomington.in.us to discuss possibilities. Click on "Reviews" below to read unsolicited comments from recent wedding receptions.