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Jazz Articles about George Colligan
About George Colligan
Instrument: Multi-instrumentalist
George Colligan: Unresolved
by C. Andrew Hovan
Over the course of his several recordings for the Danish SteepleChase label, pianist and composer George Colligan has presented a multifaceted portrait of himself as a musician while working in several formats, from solo piano to quintets. One of two projects Colligan has put together for Jordi Pojul's Fresh Sound label out of Spain, Unresolved really carries on where the SteepleChase set The Newcomer left off. Tenor man Mark Turner was a valuable contributor to the earlier album and he ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Colligan: Desire
by C. Andrew Hovan
As a pianist and composer, George Colligan fits the category of talent deserving of wider recognition better than anyone else out of the current thirty-something crowd. Not yet a household name, Colligan can give his better-publicized peers, such as Brad Mehldau, a run for their money. He has already established a great catalog of recordings for the SteepleChase label utilizing various formats. Add to that this rather unusual project recorded in Barcelona, Spain for the Fresh Sound label. As the ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Colligan: Stomping Ground
by C. Andrew Hovan
One of the best-kept secrets in jazz, pianist George Colligan has developed an intrepid attitude that goes hand-in-hand with a strong sense of identity. That was just as apparent on his first date as a leader for SteepleChase, Activism, as it is on this latest excursion into trio territory. Tunes such as Charles Tolliver’s “Right Now” or Billy Harper’s “The Priestess” were not really created for the piano, their lines voiced more easily by a horn player, yet Colligan fashions ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Colligan: Small Room
by Mark Corroto
In a solo setting, George Colligan displays sensitivity not heard in his previous recordings. Whether recording under his leadership or as sideman for trumpeter Eddie Henderson or saxophonists Gary Bartz or Gary Thomas, Colligan opted for thrills and bebop lines. As a soloist he has the subtle feel of the great Bill Evans. Like Evans, he can appeal to the romantic and classical listener. Colligan seems to reject the urge to swing on several tracks, a calculated emotional abstinence. He ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Colligan: Small Room
by C. Andrew Hovan
Time out for a personal pitch regarding one of the most imaginative up-and- coming pianists on the contemporary jazz scene. Thirty-year-old New Jersey native, George Colligan has compiled quite a resume, what with offers for sideman gigs from Gary Thomas, Lee Konitz, Freddy Cole, Billy Hart, and Steve Wilson, not to mention a magnificent spate of recording activity that includes two sessions as a leader for Fresh Sound and another baker's dozen for SteepleChase. Problem is that very few outside ...
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