Eric Crittenden - Artist Image - Buffalo Music Club

Eric Crittenden

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist & entertainer, music educator, CEO of CRiTT Presents, and co-founder of Buffalo Music Club.

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Eric Crittenden

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Eric Crittenden - Artist Image - Buffalo Music Club

Award-Winning Multi-Instrumentalist, Entertainer, & Educator
Founder & Leader, CRiTT’s Juke Joint (Sax, Keys, & Vox)
Co-Founder, Buffalo Music Club

ERIC “CRiTT” CRITTENDEN has over 25 years as a touring performer under his belt, sharing the stage with the likes of Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Sinbad the Comedian, Michael Franti, G-Love & Special Sauce, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and so many more.

Since his birth in Buffalo, NY, Eric has been immersed in the funk and feel-good soul sound of Motown. (After all, his father played with James Brown for 13 years.) But it was in his twenties that he really discovered the organic self expression of jazz, listening to Eddie Harris, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. Branching further out into rock, including the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, completely changed his life and started him on a path to genre mixing that was accessible to everyone. “For me, in order to go forward, you have to go back,” says Eric. “I was raised with old school R&B and soul. This is who and what I am all about. But this is a new era, and music needs evolution. I’m fortunate to be able to do my part.”

As a highly respected music educator, he has conducted over a hundred master classes and edutainment performances, and has been a key force behind numerous arts education efforts in Buffalo and Western New York, including The IMAGE Urban Arts Workshop (co-sponsored by New Era Cap), the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (where he served as Arts Director), and his music camp program “Future Sounds of Buffalo.”

Eric Crittenden has a degree in Music Performance from SUNY Empire State College, and a M.Ed in Career and Technical Education from SUNY Buffalo State College. Today, he teaches music in the public school system of Buffalo, NY, where he continues to perform and dedicate his career to the local music scene and the youth in the community.

  • Eric Crittenden - Artist Image - Buffalo Music Club

    Music Lessons with Eric Crittenden

    Saxophone • Keyboard & Synth • Voice
    Performance • Improvisation • Beat Production
    Learn music with an award-winning multi-instrumentalist & entertainer (CRiTT's Juke Joint, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Sinbad the Comedian, Michael Franti, G-Love & Special Sauce, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Dirty Dozen Brass Band), music educator (IMAGE Urban Arts Workshop, BCAT, BPS), CEO of CRiTT Presents, and co-founder of Buffalo Music Club.
    From: $40.00
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  • David Cloyd - Record Release Concert - June 20 2025 - Duende - Buffalo Music Club

    David Cloyd Album Release @ Duende (Friday, June 20, 2025)

    Celebrate the release of David Cloyd's new album Red Sky Warning, featuring Buffalo all-stars Eric Crittenden, D Ray, Nate Kalnitz, Jeff Miers, Miranda Shulman, and Zak Ward & The Million Dollar Question.
    $20.00
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  • Borderland Band Camp 2025 - Product Image - Buffalo Music Club

    Borderland Band Camp 2025

    A 3-day summer music program (August 25-27) for middle-school and high-school teens with a BIG goal—to share the stage with professional musicians for two live performances, culminating in a spot on the Homespun Stage at Borderland Music + Arts Festival.
    $500.00
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If you are interested in working with Eric Crittenden for master classes or pro music services, please email us at info@buffalomusicclub.com.

Pro Music Credentials

  • Award-Winning multi-instrumentalist and entertainer
  • Recording artist and touring performer for 25+ years
  • Bachelor’s Degree, Music Performance, SUNY Empire State College
  • Master’s Degree, Career and Technical Education, SUNY Buffalo State College
  • Co-Founder, IMAGE Urban Arts Workshop
  • CEO, CRiTT Presents
  • Founder and leader, CRiTT’s Juke Joint
  • Co-Founder, Buffalo Music Club

Primary Influences

DJ Jones, James Brown, Pink Floyd, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Eric Krasno, Grateful Dead, Questlove, The Roots