Tom Collier
Encyclopedia
Tom Collier is a multi-instrumental percussionist and vibraphonist
, with a career in music spanning more than fifty years. He has performed and recorded as a session musician
with many important jazz, classical, and popular artists. He has also performed and recorded with his own jazz group and has released solo albums. He joined the faculty at the University of Washington
in 1980.
. His parents were professional musicians; Ward Collier, known to his friends as "Whitey", played trumpet in various lounge bands around the Seattle/Tacoma area. His mother, Ethel, often played piano in her husband's quartet. Tom Collier made his first public appearance in Puyallup, Washington
on April 2, 1954 at age 5 on the xylophone
. His first professional performances were at age 9 as a marimba
player, and then at age 13 he appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show
.
With the emergence of rock and roll
as the dominant musical force in America, the young Collier was exposed to music that would have a lasting impact on his career. As a teenager growing up in Seattle, he enjoyed the music of The Wailers (rock band)
, a Tacoma, Washington
-based rock band considered by many to be the first garage rock
group. Collier was especially fond of their song "Dirty Robber". At the same time, he was exposed to jazz through his father's recordings of Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and others. At the age of 11, his father took him to see Lionel Hampton in concert. "That was a life-changing experience. I saw him play the vibes with such energy, but I also remember how he jumped on top of a fortified tom tom and danced on it. The crowd went wild."
By the time Collier graduated from West Seattle High School in 1966, he was beginning to compose and record pieces rooted in rock and jazz with his longtime friend, guitarist and electric bassist Dan Dean. The two would continue playing music together well into the 21st century.
since 1980. In 1991, Collier released his instrumental album Pacific Aire, in which he collaborated with Bud Shank
on alto saxophone
and flute
and Don Grusin
(Dave Grusin
's brother) on keyboards
. Jazz writer Scott Yanow
appreciated the level of musicianship evident in the album, but he criticized the music as "lightweight...as if no one is taking any real chances." He continued that "Collier's eight originals are pleasing if not memorable, and there is no stretching taking place." Collier's job at the University of Washington
has also allowed him the chance to connect with a younger generation of college students in his "American Popular Song" class.
The year 2004 saw the release of Collier's album Mallet Jazz, another instrumental showcase in which he is joined by fellow session musicians from throughout his career, such as percussion hall-of-famer Emil Richards
on marimba, Joe Porcaro
and John Bishop on drums, and Mike Lang
and Don Grusin
on piano. Dave Brubeck
's old clarinetist Bill Smith
also appears on clarinet in "Mutso Futso in Row 12." Longtime Collier friend and collaborator Dan Dean plays bass on all tracks. Collier plays vibes for most of the album, but occasionally joins Richards on marimba. Collier composed all the songs for this album. Critic Adam Greenberg wrote of the album, "The intricate lines devised by Collier show off the abilities of the lead duo [Collier and Richards], and the solos taken by both Collier and Richards alone make the album worth hearing."
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, with a career in music spanning more than fifty years. He has performed and recorded as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
with many important jazz, classical, and popular artists. He has also performed and recorded with his own jazz group and has released solo albums. He joined the faculty at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1980.
Childhood
Collier was born in Puyallup, Washington and grew up in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. His parents were professional musicians; Ward Collier, known to his friends as "Whitey", played trumpet in various lounge bands around the Seattle/Tacoma area. His mother, Ethel, often played piano in her husband's quartet. Tom Collier made his first public appearance in Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
on April 2, 1954 at age 5 on the xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
. His first professional performances were at age 9 as a marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
player, and then at age 13 he appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
.
With the emergence of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
as the dominant musical force in America, the young Collier was exposed to music that would have a lasting impact on his career. As a teenager growing up in Seattle, he enjoyed the music of The Wailers (rock band)
The Wailers (rock band)
The Wailers, often credited as The Fabulous Wailers, were an American rock band from Tacoma, Washington. They became popular around the United States Pacific Northwest around the late 1950s and the start of the 1960s, performing saxophone-driven R&B and Chuck Berry rock and roll...
, a Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
-based rock band considered by many to be the first garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
group. Collier was especially fond of their song "Dirty Robber". At the same time, he was exposed to jazz through his father's recordings of Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and others. At the age of 11, his father took him to see Lionel Hampton in concert. "That was a life-changing experience. I saw him play the vibes with such energy, but I also remember how he jumped on top of a fortified tom tom and danced on it. The crowd went wild."
By the time Collier graduated from West Seattle High School in 1966, he was beginning to compose and record pieces rooted in rock and jazz with his longtime friend, guitarist and electric bassist Dan Dean. The two would continue playing music together well into the 21st century.
Career
Collier has been director of percussion studies at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
since 1980. In 1991, Collier released his instrumental album Pacific Aire, in which he collaborated with Bud Shank
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
on alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and Don Grusin
Don Grusin
Don Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
(Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin
David Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
's brother) on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Jazz writer Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
appreciated the level of musicianship evident in the album, but he criticized the music as "lightweight...as if no one is taking any real chances." He continued that "Collier's eight originals are pleasing if not memorable, and there is no stretching taking place." Collier's job at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
has also allowed him the chance to connect with a younger generation of college students in his "American Popular Song" class.
The year 2004 saw the release of Collier's album Mallet Jazz, another instrumental showcase in which he is joined by fellow session musicians from throughout his career, such as percussion hall-of-famer Emil Richards
Emil Richards
Emil Richards, born Emilio Joseph Radocchia on September 2, 1932 in Hartford, Connecticut, is a percussionist who plays a variety of different percussion instruments.-Biography:...
on marimba, Joe Porcaro
Joe Porcaro
Joseph Porcaro is an American jazz drummer, percussionist and educator....
and John Bishop on drums, and Mike Lang
Mike Lang
Mike Lang is the current Chief Executive Officer of Miramax Films.Lang was a former News Corp. executive. In that job he had a hand in acquiring MySpace and starting up Hulu. Lang was a consultant on the deal for Filmyard Holdings to purchase Miramax Films from Walt Disney Company. At closing he...
and Don Grusin
Don Grusin
Don Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
on piano. Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
's old clarinetist Bill Smith
Bill Smith (jazz musician)
William Overton Smith , known as Bill Smith, is a U.S. jazz clarinetist, and composer. He has played with Dave Brubeck, among others.-Life:...
also appears on clarinet in "Mutso Futso in Row 12." Longtime Collier friend and collaborator Dan Dean plays bass on all tracks. Collier plays vibes for most of the album, but occasionally joins Richards on marimba. Collier composed all the songs for this album. Critic Adam Greenberg wrote of the album, "The intricate lines devised by Collier show off the abilities of the lead duo [Collier and Richards], and the solos taken by both Collier and Richards alone make the album worth hearing."
Discography
- 1979 Journey Without Maps (with Northwest Jazz Sextet)
- 1980 Whistling Midgets (with Dan Dean)
- 1991 Pacific Aire
- 2004 Mallet Jazz
- 2005 Duets (with Dan Dean)
External links
- Official Website of Tom Collier
- Online radio station