Jazz Articles about George Colligan

George Colligan: Variety, Presentation and Doing It Because It's Fun

by Paul Olson
May 7, 2007

Although George Colligan is a wildly in-demand musician whose piano, organ and Fender Rhodes have graced the recordings and performances of clarinetist Don Byron, bassist Buster Williams, vocalist Cassandra Wilson, and many other artists, he's also managed to produce a pretty sizable discography as a band leader. While his chops and imagination--coupled with a consistent clarity of thought and touch--make his playing a consistent pleasure to the jazz listener, he's just as good a composer, having written for Chamber Music ...

George Colligan: Blood Pressure

by Ken Dryden
April 10, 2007

During his relatively brief time on the jazz scene, keyboardist George Colligan has been very busy, recording prolifically both as a leader and sideman for a number of labels. Blood Pressure is an eclectic affair, focusing exclusively on originals in what is primarily a post-bop outing, with occasional detours. Colligan utilizes two different bassists (Josh Ginsberg and Boris Kozlov, the latter who doubles on electric bass on several tracks) and three different drummers (Johnathan Blake, EJ Strickland and Vanderlai Pereira), ...

George Colligan: Blood Pressure

by Budd Kopman
January 17, 2007

Even a quick glance at George Colligan's discography is easily impressive: he has twenty releases as a leader and four times that many as a sideman. Why he is so prolific can easily be heard on Blood Pressure, an album of all original compositions. Last year's Renderings, with Andrew Rathbun on reeds, showed Colligan's classical side, with a wonderful touch and admirable restraint and communication. Blood Pressure is essentially a piano trio record, but ...

George Colligan Trio: Blood Pressure

by John Kelman
November 21, 2006

One look at George Colligan's discography as a sideman and the word “multifaceted" comes immediately to mind. From the post bop of Eddie Henderson to the complex orchestrations of Jamie Baum and the gritty R&B of Don Byron's tribute to Junior Walker, Colligan has done it all.

In 2005 the pianist released the mainstream Past-Present-Future (Criss Cross) and unapologetically fusion-centric Realization (Sirocco). Blood Pressure sits somewhere in between. Its generally acoustic vibe is enhanced on occasion with synths, flute, violin ...

George Colligan: Blood Pressure

by Mark Corroto
November 4, 2006

For the past ten years, every article or review about pianist George Colligan's music has opined as to when this very talented musician would become a household name. He has amassed an impressive list of sideman gigs with the likes of Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Buster Williams, Benny Golson and Lonnie Plaxico. His discography as a leader is also deep. Unfortunately, most of those discs have been released on foreign labels like Criss Cross, Fresh Sound New Talent and Steeplechase. ...

George Colligan: Past-Present-Future; Realization

by David Adler
December 6, 2005

With a string of recordings for Fresh Sound and Steeplechase, George Colligan established himself as one of the strongest new pianists in jazz. His first Criss Cross outing, Ultimatum (2002), focused exclusively on original material.

George Colligan Past-Present-Future Criss Cross 2005

On the followup, Past-Present-Future, only the title track is original--and a memorable one at that. The slant toward covers is atypical for Colligan (save for 2000's Stomping Ground), but it confirms ...

George Colligan's Mad Science: Realization

by John Kelman
May 17, 2005

Since emerging on the scene a scant ten years ago, pianist George Colligan has built the kind of body of work that some artists don't manage in twice or thrice the time. Appearing on over seventy recordings, including over a dozen as a leader, Colligan has proven that one doesn't have to be stylistically myopic to remain focused. Instead, he seems to have an all-encompassing musical appetite. And yet, unlike some who attempt a variety of musical styles and ultimately ...