Craig McKinley - Banjo

Craig McKinley received his very first banjo lesson at the youthful age of three from none other than plectrum virtuoso Eddie Peabody in 1963. Eddie was a personal friend of Craig's father John McKinley, himself a crackerjack jazz banjoist. Eddie chided John that he wasn't starting Craig early enough, and after teaching Craig a few chords he passed the reins on to John. The father/son team have continued working together for the next fifty years, and are even now collaborating on new, recorded material.

Craig and John produced a wonderful LP simply titled "The McKinley's" around 1980, with finely interwoven and wondrously complex banjo interplay. They are planning on re-releasing this material soon on digital media. Meantime, if you can find a decent copy of the original it is well-worth a listen.

Craig has performed with some of the PNW's finest traditional jazz bands, including the Conductors, 10th Avenue, Black Swan, Stumptown and others. In the rhythm section he has exceptional time and lays down a chordal foundation that is a joy to perform over.

McKinleys release "Just Us" CD!  Father and son banjo virtuosos John and Craig McKinley recently released their new recording named "Just Us". Both have been past and remain occasional members of Black Swan. They collaborated with Kit Johnson for engineering and production. This is a tasty recording, featuring some wonderful material and masterful playing.

Craig's discography includes: