Craig T. has been writing, playing and performing for a lifetime across the musical landscape of this little blue marble. As a writer, storyteller, entertainer and song stylist, he's worked different styles from piano or guitar over the last three decades around the world. "It's all about life and love. One song at a time, one story at a time.”
You’ll find him today mainly performing under his name and a few tribute names. Current it’s VINTAGEBLLY.COM, doing tribute shows on the great catalog of Billy Joel. He's developing a Tony Bennett/ Bill Evans or Tony and Diana Krall Tribute currently as well. His Jazz quartet plays summers on Fridays in Mpls under Craig T and Meritage. Otherwise, it ’s covers and original love songs in the keys of jazz, pop, folk/Americana, gospel and country genres. If an event is marked as “Acoustic or Grand Piano", it will be without a band. Otherwise, he will be working from one of his keyboards and gear, producing a wall of sound and harmony that he was known for, for years. Respected for over a decade as the top one-man touring act by dozens of artists around the country, you will hear a lot of classics from the 60’s, 70’s, 80's and 90's in his shows today. You can hear some of his music at CTOLSON.com.. You can hear his Billy Joel Tribute at Vintagebilly.com. Music & Video available on Apple, Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook, and his long-running blog.
Craig T's musical world is pretty diverse. On the "Hey I love God side" of music ministry, it was Praise2Worship.com. It incorporated the concept of "developing lifestyles of worship". It included live worship events and radio broadcasts. dozens of videos available on YouTube of worship songs with his team in live events with over 250k views. He also produced and broadcast an on-demand a 1-hour daily musical faith program called Drivetimeworship.com. The broadcast was produced and performed daily from WoodNfire Studios in Mpls, MN. There was also a one minute daily short devotional feature called "Aworshipminute" that discusses life, science, and how it relates to the elements of faith. Some of these broadcasts are listed here.
Craig T. has owned a web development company in the 90's, still holds a Fed. US wine import license, looks to open a restaurant with a grand piano in his next offering and is studing cooking and developing a menu daily. He is currently working on his second screenplay, first draft for a book on re-kindling marriage, continues writing songs, developing new business models and concepts, plays golf, racquetball, and would be happy to finish life on a stream in Montana with a bamboo fly rod in his hand.
His concern is that Jesus might return someday when Craig has a 28" Cutthroat on a 4/5wt bamboo fly rod, and that will be just one more of lifes "are you kidding me" moments turned into a song. Wait, I now hear him in the other room on the guitar "Je----sus, I got a 28 incher with 100feet of line down river. So wont you wait a minute longer fore you open up the clouds and blow the trumpet louder than I've ever heard before".
Playin in the 70's, it was all about the lyric and the acoustic folk rock.
Playin in the 80's, was all about the clothes, hair, synths and spandex.
Playin in the 90's, was all about turning country into pop.
And when the money is in the bank, and you have more time with a guitar on your lap than your children, it's time for a break.
So i took a decade or so off, to discover other gifts, and faith in something real again... Well, the only thing real.. is love. Unconditional love. Impossible to truly give, darn hard to accept, but well worth the effort.
I have a remarkable wife of over 3 decades, incredible children and grandchildren, a few forever friends and enemies to keep me honest and it all rolls out in songs.
Did i mention God, a Mountain Stream, a good Therapist and a good cigar with cognac will help you find solutions?
