Musicians - Tom Collier

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	Musicians - Tom Collier

Tom Collier is a talented multi-instrumental percussionist and Seattle's most in-demand vibraphonist who boasts an over 50 year career in music. 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.

Childhood

Collier grew up in Seattle, Washington. Almost from the outset, he showed a talent for music and seemed to have an innate sense of time. 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 virtuoso, and then at age 13 he appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show. But it was not all fun and games for the young musician. One boyhood memory that had a lasting effect on him was when his father had told him to take out the trash, and Collier responded "Yakety yak," in reference to the 1958 hit record by The Coasters. Of course, the elder Collier's response was "Don't talk back." This story was recounted to an audience of approximately 700 at the Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus, during a class on American popular music that Collier was teaching.

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". He has been quoted as saying, "In Seattle, we thought everyone knew The Wailers." Unfortunately, reality came crashing down on Collier when he learned that this band was not known the world over, and was actually nothing more than a regional sensation. This revelation had an important effect on the young Collier, as he realized what a sheltered life he had been leading in the Pacific Northwest.

Career

Collier stated in 2004 that he holds the distinction of only being fired twice in his life, and one of those times it was by none other than renowned record producer Phil Spector. Apparently, Collier and other session musicians had been secured by Spector for work in the studio. They could not seem to get the Wall of Sound quite right, and in a fit of anger, Spector proclaimed them all incompetent and sent them away. Collier has refused to admit the exact circumstances surrounding the only other instance in which his employment was terminated.

Collier has been director of percussion studies at the University of Washington since 1980. This position has afforded him the freedom to pursue his musical interests while still having the job security that many musicians lack. 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 eager to take his beloved "American Popular Song" class. The class, filled with the fundamentals of American music and intertwined with rich Collier anecdotes, is highly recommended to all. Besides his interesting and often humorous stories, Collier is also known by his students as a man who has a way with words. For instance, Collier, writing about Eric Clapton's composition of the much-heralded "Layla," remarked that "Clapton's words cut like a knife."

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 , and the solos taken by both Collier and Richards alone make the album worth hearing."

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