Born: February 21, 1937 | Died: September 9, 2011 Primary Instrument: Composer/conductor/leader
Graham Collier's career spans four decades of innovation at the forefront of British jazz. He was the first British graduate of the Berklee School of Jazz, Boston, and the first British jazz composer to receive a commission from the Arts Council. During this time composition, conducting, education and journalism have taken him around the world.
He was born in Tynemouth, England, in 1937. On leaving school he joined the British Army as a musician, spending three years in Hong Kong. He subsequently won a down beat magazine scholarship to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, studying with Herb Pomeroy and becoming its first British graduate in 1963.
Returning to Britain, he formed the first of many line-ups known as Graham Collier Music, dedicated to performing his own compositions. One critic called his bands a ‘nursery for British jazz talent’, and over the years his line-ups have featured almost every British jazz musician of note, among them James Allsopp, Ian Ballamy, Harry Beckett, Chris Biscoe, Geoff Castle, Andy Cleyndert, Roger Dean, Mike Gibbs, Mick Hutton, Pete Hurt, Karl Jenkins, Mark Lockheart, Henry Lowther, John Marshall, Oren Marshall, Dick Pearce, Alan Skidmore, Ed Speight, Stan Sulzmann, John Surman, Art Themen, Derek Wadsworth, Alan Wakeman, Steve Waterman, and Kenny Wheeler.
In 1984, he formed a workshop big band, Loose Tubes, inspired by his concern that young musicians in England weren't getting efficient big band exposure. This multifaceted orchestra was to produce such talents as Julian Arguelles, Django Bates and Eddie Parker.
The international bands Collier has assembled for various special projects around the world have boasted the likes of Johanni Aaltonen, Ted Curson, Hugh Fraser, Palle Mikkelborg, Karlheinz Miklin, Terje Rypdal, Ed Sarath, Manfred Schoof, Harry Sokal, Tomasz Stanko and Eje Thelin.
He has written for ensembles ranging from wind quartets to symphony orchestras and big bands such as the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra and the NDR Big Band. Over a career spanning more than forty years, his list of compositions and commissions has grown to encompass ensembles and arts bodies around the world.
He has released 18 albums and CDs of his own, as well as being part of compilations from such as Gilles Peterson, Babyshambles and Masanori Morita. He has also contributed to recordings by artists ranging from Ted Curson to Tom Robinson. For a full list and details see Recordings.
His latest group is the ad hoc big band The Jazz Ensemble - the italics stress an improvising factor Collier feels has been mislaid by certain superstars and didacts in the field - featuring a roster of regular collaborators, guests from Europe and America, and up-and-coming stars of the European jazz scene. The Jazz Ensemble has recorded two critically acclaimed CDs, Charles River Fragments and The Third Colour.
He has also worked in a wide range of other media: on stage plays and musicals, on documentary and fiction film, and on a variety of radio drama productions, including a highly-praised version of Josef Skvorecky's novella, The Bass Saxophone, which won a Sony Radio Award, and an adaptation of Malcolm Lowry's novel, Under the Volcano.
He is equally well-known as an author and educator, having written six books on jazz, jazz history, compositional technique and education - the latest of which, Interaction, Opening Up the Jazz Ensemble, was published in 1995 to fulsome praise in the jazz press. For a full list and details of his books see Writings
In the early 1980s, he developed the six-year jazz degree course still running at the Sibelius Institute in Helsinki, Finland. In 1989, he launched the Royal Academy of Music’s jazz course; the first graduates for the course got their degrees in 1989 and he remained artistic director for ten years, until resigning in 1999.
He has also taught seminars, lectures and workshops throughout Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East. For a more on his workshops see Projects
In 1989, he was among the group of international jazz educators who formed the International Association of Schools of Jazz. He was Secretary of the IASJ's Daily Board for nine years, and in 1994 his Winston Churchill Fellowship report on “Jazz Education in America” initiated the IASJ journal, Jazz Changes.
He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987. He left his full- time post as artistic director of the jazz course at the Royal Academy in 1999 to concentrate on composition. He currently lives in the mountains of Andalucia, southern Spain, where he continues to compose, travelling from there to present concerts and workshops around the world. He has just completed his ‘life time project’, The Jazz Composer, moving music off the paper a book on the philosophy of jazz composition, and the general misuse of the term.
Deep Dark Blue Center
Deram (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1967
Tracks: Blue Walls; El Miklos; Hirayoshi Suite; Crumblin Cookie; Conversations; Deep Dark Blue Centre.
Personnel: Harry Beckett or Kenny Wheeler: trumpet and flugelhorn. Dave Aaron: alto sax and flute. Karl Jenkins: Baritone sax and oboe. Mike Gibbs: trombone. Phil Lee: guitar. John Marshall: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Down Another Road
Fontana(LP), Disconforme(CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1969
Tracks: Down Another Road; Danish Blue; The Barley Mow; Aberdeen Angus; Lullaby for a Lonely Child; Molewrench.
Personnel: Harry Beckett: flugelhorn. Stan Sulzmann: alto and tenor saxes. Karl Jenkins: piano and oboe. Nick Evans: trombone. John Marshall: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader
Songs For My Father
Fontana (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1970
Tracks: Song One (Seven-Four); Song Two (Ballad); Song Three (Nine-Eight Blues); Song Four (Waltz in Four-Four); Song Five (Rubato); Song Six (Dirge); Song Seven (Four-Four Figured).
Personnel: Harry Beckett: trumpet, flugelhorn. Alan Wakeman: tenor & soprano sax. Bob Sydor: tenor and alto sax. Alan Skidmore: tenor sax. Tony Roberts: tenor sax. Derek Wadsworth: trombone. Phil Lee: guitar. John Taylor: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Mosaics
Philips (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1971
Tracks: Mosaics Part 1; Mosaics Part 2; Mosaics Part 3; Mosaics Part 4.
Personnel: Harry Beckett: trumpet, flugelhorn. Alan Wakeman: tenor & soprano sax. Bob Sydor: tenor and alto sax. Geoff Castle: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Portraits
Saydisc (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1972
Tracks: And Now for Something Completely Different Part One; And Now for Something Completely Different Part Two; Portraits.
Personnel: Dick Pearce: flugelhorn. Pete Hurt: alto sax. Ed Speight: guitar. Geoff Castle: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Darius
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1974
Tracks: Darius Part 1; Darius Part 2; Darius Part 3; Darius Part 4; A New Dawn.
Personnel: Harry Beckett: trumpet, flugelhorn. Derek Wadsworth: trombone. Ed Speight: guitar. Geoff Castle: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Midnight Blue
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1975
Tracks: Midnight Blue; Adam; Cathedra.
Personnel: Harry Beckett: trumpet, flugelhorn. Derek Wadsworth: trombone. Ed Speight: guitar. Geoff Castle: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
New Conditions
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1976
Tracks: New Conditions Introduction; New Conditions Part 1 & 2; New Conditions Part 3; New Conditions Part 4; New Conditions Part 5 & 6; New Conditions Part 7; New Conditions Part 8; New Conditions Finale.
Personnel: Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther, Pete Duncan: trumpets. Malcolm Griffiths: trombone. Art Themen: tenor sax and soprano sax. Alan Wakeman: tenor sax and soprano sax. Mike Page: alto sax. Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: piano. John Webb: drums. John Mitchell: percussion. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Symphony of Scorpions
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1977
Tracks: Symphony of Scorpions Part 1; Symphony of Scorpions Part Two; Symphony of Scorpions Part 3 & 4; Forest Path to the Spring.
Personnel: Art Themen: soprano sax, tenor sax. Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther, Peter Duncan: trumpets. Malcolm Griffiths: trombone. Tony Roberts, Mike Page: saxophones. Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: piano. John Webb: drums. John Mitchell: percussion. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
The Day of the Dead
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1978
Tracks: CD1 - Day of the Dead Part 1 & 2; Day of the Dead Part 3; Day of the Dead Part 4; Day of the Dead Part 5; Day of the Dead Part 6; Day of the Dead Part 7 & 8; CD2 - October Ferry; Triptych Part 1; Triptych Part 2; Triptych Part 3; Eridanus; Quanahuac.
Personnel: Alan Wakeman: tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet. Art Themen: tenor sax, soprano sax. Mike Page: alto sax, soprano sax, flute. Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther, Peter Duncan: trumpets. Malcolm Griffiths: trombone. Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: piano. Roy Babbington: acoustic bass, electric bass. Ashley Brown: drums, percussion. Alan Jackson: drums. Graham Collier: leader.
Something British Made in Hong Kong
Mosaic (LP), Disconforme (CD), jazzcontinuum (digital)
1985
Tracks: Midsummer Dawn; Whirligig; Mist on Water; Queensbury Rules; Spring Rain; Deserted Funfair.
Personnel: Roger Dean: piano, DX7 synthesizer. Ed Speight: guitar. Geoff Warren: soprano sax, alto sax, flute, alto flute. Paul Bridge: bass. Ashley Brown: drums, percussion. Graham Collier: keyboards. Recorded live in Hong Kong, December 1985.
Charles River Fragments
Boathouse, then Jazzprint
1995/2003
Tracks: The Hackey Five; Charles River Fragments.
Personnel: The Jazz Ensemble directed by Graham Collier. Art Themen, Chris Biscoe, Mark Lockheart, Geoff Warren: saxophones. Steve Waterman, Henry Lowther, Patrick White: trumpets. Hugh Fraser, Bill Mee: trombones. Andy Grappy: tuba. Ed Speight: guitar. Pete Saberton: piano. Dudley Phillips: bass. John Marshall: drums.
The Third Colour
ASC, then Jazzprint
1998/2003
Tracks: CD1 Three Simple Pieces; Shapes, Colours, Energy. CD2 The Miró Tile; The Third Colour.
Personnel: The Jazz Ensemble directed by Graham Collier. Karlheinz Miklin, Art Themen, Geoff Warren, Steve Main: saxophones. Ed Sarath, Steve Waterman, Simon Finch: trumpets. Hugh Fraser, Mat Colman: trombones. Oren Marshall: tuba. Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: keyboards. Andy Cleyndert: bass. John Marshall: drums.
Winter Oranges
Jazzprint
2002
Tracks: Three Simple Pieces, Part One; Three Simple Pieces Part Three; Blue Spring; Eggshell Summer; Tinted Autumn; Winter Oranges.
Personnel: Graham Collier with The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra. Anders Gustafsson, Benny Rosenfeld, Knud Erik Nørregaard: trumpets. Vincent Nilsson, Kim Aagaard, Annette Huseby: trombones. Alex Windfeld: bass trombone and tuba. Michael Hove, Nikolai Schultz, Uffe Markussen, Tomas Franck, Flemming Madsen: saxophones. Nikolaj Bentzon: piano. Thomas Ovesen: bass. Anders Chico Lindvall: guitar. Soren Frost: drums. Ethan Weisgard: percussion.
Bread & Circuses
Jazzprint
2002
Tracks: Bread & Circuses; Oxford Palms.
Personnel: Graham Collier with The Collective. Adrian Kelly: trumpet. Lucy Fisher, Stephanie Dean: violins. Martin Payne: viola. Jenny Tingley: cello. Lindsay Vickery, Graeme Blevins, Lee Buddle: saxophones. Jeremy Greig, Keiran Hurley: trombones. Matthew Savage: trombone, euphonium. Phil Waldron: bass. Grant Windsor, Tom O’Halloran: pianos. Steve Richter: percussion, marimba. Hans Drieberg: drums and percussion.
Workpoints
Cuneiform
2005 (Recorded 1968 and 1975)
Tracks: CD1 Deep Dark Blue Centre; The Barley Mow; Workpoints Part One; Workpoints Part Two; Workpoints Part Three; Workpoints Part Four. CD2 Little Ben; Under The Pier; Darius Part One; Darius PartThree; Darius Part Four; Darius Part One Reprise; Clear Moon; Mackerel Sky.
Personnel: CD1 Kenny Wheeler, Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther: trumpets. Dave Aaron: alto, tenor, soprano saxophones, flute. John Surman: baritone, soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, piano. Karl Jenkins: baritone,soprano saxophones, oboe, piano. Chris Smith, Mike Gibbs, John Mumford: trombones. Frank Ricoti: vibraphone, bongoes. John Marshall: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader. CD2 Harry Beckett: trumpet, flugelhorn; Art Themen, tenor, soprano saxophones. Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: piano. John Webb: drums. Graham Collier: bass and leader.
Hoarded Dreams
Cuneiform
2007 (Recorded 1983)
Tracks: Hoarded Dreams Parts 1 to 7;
Personnel: Geoff Warren: alto saxophone and alto flute. Juhanni Aaltonen: tenor and alto saxophones. Art Themen: tenor and soprano saxophones. Matthias Schubert: tenor saxophone and oboe. John Surman: baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Kenny Wheeler, Henry Lowther, Manfred Schoof, Tomasz Stanko, Ted Curson: trumpet and flugelhorn. Malcolm Griffiths, Eje Thelin, Conny Bauer: trombone. Dave Powell: tuba. John Schröder, Ed Speight: guitar. Roger Dean: piano. Paul Bridge: bass. Ashley Brown: drums and percussion. Graham Collier: composer and director.
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