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Romain Collin

Described by NPR host Jon Weber as “a visionary composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist and a very bright young rising star in the jazz world”, Romain Collin continues to develop his vision, combining the tradition of improvisation with sound designing and classical music. Now releasing his second record as a leader, Collin keeps making his mark on the New York scene, as well as internationally.

In 2007, Romain Collin graduated from the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz where he held a Full Scholarship as the pianist of an ensemble handpicked by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard. During his time at the TMIJ, Romain studied with the likes of Larry Goldings, Russell Ferrante, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Mulgrew Miller and Wynton Marsalis, and had the opportunity to tour with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in Vietnam and India. The TMI band also shared the stage with artists such as Marcus Miller, Jimmy Heath, and Terence Blanchard; and performed at a Kennedy Center concert hosted by Quincy Jones and featuring Stevie Wonder, Patti Austin, Joshua Redman and John Patitucci amongst numerous others.

Romain, who was originally born in France, came to the US to attend Berklee College of Music (class of 2004) on a scholarship, where he studied performance with the likes of Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano while majoring in Music Synthesis. During that time, he got the opportunity to perform with drummer Kenwood Dennard, keyboardist/composer George Duke, and also co-produced the critically acclaimed album Moving by prodigious bassist Tony Grey (John McLaughlin, Hiromi). One of the tracks, White Woods, appeared on a Tribute to Weather Report compilation album (ESC Records, 2005 - also featuring performances by the late Tony Williams, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Dennis Chambers and others). Romain’s performance on the piece was described by All About Jazz as “a transcendent electric keyboard spot... A five-and-a-half star moment”.

In 2009, Collin released The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn (Fresh Sound), a record described by All About Jazz writer Phil Di Pietro as “an astonishingly mature and ambitious debut that secures Collin a placeholder in the continuing evolution of the grand tradition of the piano trio”. The record received rave reviews internationally and made it to New York Jazz critic David Adler’s list of notable debuts of 2009. Distributed in stores as well as digitally, The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn got radio airplay throughout France, Japan and the US - including a special feature on WNYC Culture program. Collin was recently invited by legendary pianist Marian McPartland to her prestigious Piano Jazz show on NPR to perform solo piano and to talk about his second record, scheduled for release early 2012 on Palmetto Records. This album, entitled The Calling, was produced by Matt Pierson (Brad Mehldau, Kirk Whalum, Joshua Redman) and features a power rhythm section in rising stars Kendrick Scott on drums and Luques Curtis on bass.

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3
Album Review

Sachal Vasandani: Midnight Shelter

Read "Midnight Shelter" reviewed by Geno Thackara


"I'll leave you to your crowds," Sachal Vasandani murmurs to start off an album that couldn't be less suited to being with a crowd. The touch of irony is apt. The sound of Midnight Shelter is a lonely and thoughtful one (a reflection of the music's origin in a season of isolation), yet as with its title, there's a vital comforting angle too. This duality makes a gorgeous and mostly soothing listen for pandemic times. The players don't shy away ...

20
Album Review

Grégoire Maret / Romain Collin / Bill Frisell: Americana

Read "Americana" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Harmonica player and composer Grégoire Maret is not a familiar name in the U.S. but he should be. The New York-based artist has recorded with Jimmy Scott, Jacky Terrasson, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Charlie Hunter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Pat Metheny and many others. The very bankable musician has appeared on over seventy-five releases as a sideman and has recorded as a leader on three albums. Americana unites Maret with pianist, composer and label-mate Romain Collin, along with legendary guitarist ...

1
Album Review

Romain Collin: Tiny Lights...

Read "Tiny Lights..." reviewed by Geno Thackara


Romain Collin's head must be one fascinating place to live. From the glimpse he reveals on Tiny Lights..., it's an experience like an ongoing film full of colorful action and almost nonstop excitement. His fourth release has him spinning aural gold out of energetic rock, groovy jazz-fusion and electronic trance that almost risks getting too smart for the dance floor. This vivid whirl through the imagination is equal parts bouncy, brainy and beautiful. The titular lights represent positive ...

1
Album Review

Romain Collin: Tiny Lights...

Read "Tiny Lights..." reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Romain Collin is a young pianist whose previous recordings have shown an affinity for electronic textures and minimalism. This release expands on those ideas. It adds rock energy and hip hop beats to create a buzzing, mechanized universe of sound where Collin's piano is often the most human element on display. The set begins with “Overflow" where layers of quick drum beats, bright piano notes and winding electric guitar mesh together to create a glossy, optimistic feeling. “There ...

6
Album Review

Romain Collin: Press Enter

Read "Press Enter" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


French pianist Romain Collin's third release as a leader, Press Enter, can easily serve as a soundtrack for an art house flick. This is very natural for Collin who has both written music for several films and proved himself an accomplished performer. Collin uses intricately constructed harmonic fragments to build captivating sonic mosaics thus most of the originals on this disc are densely textured and cinematic. The thrilling “Webs" has an expectant ambience that drummer Kendrick Scott and ...

20
Album Review

Romain Collin: Press Enter

Read "Press Enter" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


On his way to creating this extraordinary album, French pianist Romain Collin had the opportunity to chat with Wayne Shorter about those who delay and defer their aspirations. Shorter's two word strategic summation would become the title for this project, Press Enter. Now a jny: New York City resident, Collin did not begin his musical journey through the customary club circuits of Europe or New York, instead touring India and Vietnam with players from the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. ...

14
Album Review

The North: Slow Down (This Isn't the Mainland)

Read "Slow Down (This Isn't the Mainland)" reviewed by Ian Patterson


When French pianist Romain Collin and Hawaii natives double bassist Shawn Conley and drummer Abe Lagrimas, Jr got together in jny:Honolulu there was no special agenda; just three friends playing a few gigs in a relaxed environment, far from the hurly burly of their adopted cities of Los Angeles and New York. However, a trio chemistry was born and shortly afterwards a three-week writing/recording session in an idyllic location ensued. As the title suggests, the music is pretty laid back. ...

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Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Eighth Video In #taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Eighth Video In #taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases another new video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. The newest video features Collin with saxophonist Yosvany Terry in the original Terry tune “Reuniendo La Nacion." Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh ...

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Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Seventh Video In #taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Seventh Video In #taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases another new video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. “Holocene“ by Justin Vernon features Collin with electric guitarist Grey McMurray. Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh project, Collin's forthcoming trio recording will ...

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Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Sixth Video In #taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Sixth Video In #taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases another new video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. “Blackbird“ features Collin and Gregoire Maret on harmonica in The Beatles classic tune. Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh project, Collin's forthcoming trio ...

1

Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Fifth Video In #taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Fifth Video In #taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases another new video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. “You Held Me Up“ features Collin with vocalist and songwriter Christina Courtin. Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh project, Collin's forthcoming trio recording ...

1

Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Fourth Video In #Taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Fourth Video In #Taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases another new video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. The Collin original “Clockwork“ features Collin with producer Jeremy Loucas on drum programming. Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh project, Collin's forthcoming trio ...

1

Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Third Video In #taurussesh Series

Pianist Romain Collin Releases Third Video In #taurussesh Series

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin releases the third video in #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. The Collin original “Great Ocean Road“ features Collin with drummer Eric Harland. Videos showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests including Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to the #TaurusSesh project, Collin's forthcoming trio recording ...

3

Video / DVD

Pianist Romain Collin Launches #taurussesh: Intimate video series features Collin and special guests

Pianist Romain Collin Launches #taurussesh: Intimate video series features Collin and special guests

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Romain Collin has just launched #TaurusSesh, a series of intimate videos in which he explores the vast musical possibilities offered by his unique combination of acoustic piano, vocal loops and textures, and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus. The first clip, the original Collin composition “Raw, Scorched and Untethered," features Collin playing solo. All other videos will showcase spontaneous collaborations with special guests that include Eric Harland, Sachal Vasandani, Grey McMurray, Christina Courtin, Gregoire Maret and Yosvany Terry. In addition to ...

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Recording

Rising Piano Star Romain Collin Introduces Melodically Captivating Sound-Sculpted Trio Project On His Palmetto Debut "The Calling"

Rising Piano Star  Romain Collin  Introduces Melodically Captivating Sound-Sculpted Trio Project On His  Palmetto Debut "The Calling"

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

“A visionary composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist and a very bright young rising star in the jazz world." —Jon Weber, host of NPR's PianoJazz French-born pianist Romain Collin introduces an evocatively textured, melodically luxuriant sound on his new Palmetto album The Calling, slated for release on April 24, 2012. Flowing from his singular creative path as a classically trained musician besotted with jazz giants like Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Bud Powell, his music is utterly idiosyncratic, yet ...

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Performance / Tour

Romain Collin at the Blue Note,NYC January 3, 2009

Romain Collin at the Blue Note,NYC  January 3, 2009

Source: All About Jazz

To celebrate the holiday season and the imminent release of his debut record, The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn on Fresh Sound Records, there will be a special performance by pianist Romain Collin at the Blue Note NYC. It will be video recorded for a live DVD and feature: Luques Curtis (b), Zack Harmon (dms) and special guest Marcus Strickland (sax). All that come out may see their friendly faces on the finished product!

Romain Collin graduated from the prestigious ...

"Romain Collin fuses traditional improvisational techniques found in Jazz with the Electronic sensibilities of his sonic youth to create a star power that promises to transform itself into a pulsating crescendo of light and sound with the sole purpose of catapulting Collin from his perch in New York City to the strata of those musical innovators he has had the great fortune to learn from and work with closely." Karas Lamb, The Revivalist

"Collin is armed with a killer instinct for progressive, spatially friendly instrumentals that present themselves in the form of mini-soundtracks. (...) His music is a unique, organic signature." Carol Banks Weber, Examiner.com

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

My Story In Song

Herron Song Records
2023

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Still Life

Edition Records
2022

buy

Midnight Shelter

Edition Records
2021

buy

Americana

ACT Music
2020

buy

Tiny Lights...

Revive Music Group
2019

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Press Enter

ACT Music
2015

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Raw, Scorched and Untethered

From: Press Enter
By Romain Collin

The Calling

From: The Calling
By Romain Collin

Videos

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