John Collins,Guitar

[fasstrack]

John Collins is IMO criminally underrated. He's actually almost forgotten about. To me, he was the best of 3 very fine guitarists to work in the King Cole Trio. For taste, stage presence, and wonderful group playing check out this video of the Trio: 

 

Edited May 3, 2016 by fasstrack

[jazzbo]

I agree that John Collins is an excellent guitarist. I love his work with Cole, and the little bit with Lester Young -- trumpeter Shad Collins was in the band at that time with John. . . is it possible they are brothers? (I confess I love Oscar Moore equally with Cole, Oscar was an exciting and unique player).

John Collins is excellent everywhere he appears as a soloist and he was a great accompanist. He should be better known.

[fasstrack]

3 hours ago, jazzbo said:

I agree that John Collins is an excellent guitarist. I love his work with Cole, and the little bit with Lester Young -- trumpeter Shad Collins was in the band at that time with John. . . is it possible they are brothers? (I confess I love Oscar Moore equally with Cole, Oscar was an exciting and unique player).

John Collins is excellent everywhere he appears as a soloist and he was a great accompanist. He should be better known.

Are there any recordings of him with Pres? I've seen pictures of the group with him...Don't know if they were brothers. I never heard that...

Edited May 3, 2016 by fasstrack

[BillF]

I recall John Collins on some Tadd Dameron sides: "Focus" etc.

[jazzbo]

47 minutes ago, fasstrack said:

Are there any recordings of him with Pres? I've seen pictures of the group with him...Don't know if they were brothers. I never heard that...

That band recorded four sides backing Una Mae Carlisle (and I love those four sides!) They've been reissued on RCA LPs and CDs and also Chronogical Classics and Masters of Jazz CDs, and will soon be reissued in the upcoming Lester Young/Basie set from Mosaic. There are also a few air check of a radio broadcast of the band in not good sound, these I only know on Masters of Jazz cds.

Edited May 3, 2016 by jazzbo

[fasstrack]

3 hours ago, jazzbo said:

That band recorded four sides backing Una Mae Carlisle (and I love those four sides!) They've been reissued on RCA LPs and CDs and also Chronogical Classics and Masters of Jazz CDs, and will soon be reissued in the upcoming Lester Young/Basie set from Mosaic. There are also a few air checks of LA radio broadcasts of the band in not good sound, these I only know on Masters of Jazz cds.

Thank you! I will look into that...

Here's a bio: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-collins-mn0001704785

[mikeweil]

3 hours ago, BillF said:

I recall John Collins on some Tadd Dameron sides: "Focus" etc.

His tone on those Capitol sides is absolutely gorgeous!

Whenever I think of the trio session with Kenny Clarke cut for a ten inch Blue Note, the tapes of which are lost, I wish there were time machines ... 

[Chuck Nessa]

He was a sweet gentleman. I met him a few times in Chicago at Andy's and at the Enterprise Lounge, Listening to his old friends Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson and John Young.

John's Delight is wonderful.

IIRC, he had an lp on Nilva in the '80s.

[fasstrack]

chuck, that is alvin queen's label. i also put this up on fb today and got a nice response from him thanking me for talking about john collins. we had a nice little exchange. that lp was eponymously titled john collins, and besides collins and queen feautured sweets edison. yes, it came out in the '80s. i used to own it. in the front cover picture mr. collins looks just as happy as in that nat cole video i posted. i bet he was a hell of a guy...

 

Edited May 4, 2016 by fasstrack

[Chuck Nessa]

I know it was Alvin's label - I used to distribute it in the midwest. 

[fasstrack]

19 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I know it was Alvin's label - I used to distribute it in the midwest. 

You are a good man, Chuck Nessa 

[mikeweil]

I had that Nilva LP but sold it - Collins' tone and phrasing were not as fascinating to me as on the older sessions. Maybe I'd hear it differently today ...

Found a Billy Taylor Quartet session on H.R.S. (in the Mosaic box) where he is by far the most advanced and compelling musician.

As I said, I wish someone would locate this tape:

John Collins

John Collins (guitar) Milt Hinton (bass) Kenny Clarke (drums)

Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, May 9, 1953

tk.3	'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do	Blue Note unissued
tk.9	Lover Man	-
tk.12	Untitled Collins Original	-
tk.14	You Don't Know What Love Is	-
tk.18	Midnight	-
tk.21	My Funny Valentine	-
tk.23	Lover Come Back To Me	-
tk.24	Out Of Nowhere	-

Edited February 19, 2022 by mikeweil

[sidewinder]

Amazed to catch on BBC4 tonight a vintage 1961 performance by John Collins tonight as part of a Nat King Cole special put out by the BBC. Also in the backing group were trumpeter Reunald Jones and drummer Leon Pettis.

[bertrand]

On 5/4/2016 at 8:00 PM, fasstrack said:

chuck, that is alvin queen's label. i also put this up on fb today and got a nice response from him thanking me for talking about john collins. we had a nice little exchange. that lp was eponymously titled john collins, and besides collins and queen feautured sweets edison. yes, it came out in the '80s. i used to own it. in the front cover picture mr. collins looks just as happy as in that nat cole video i posted. i bet he was a hell of a guy...

 

Has it ever been on CD?

[mikeweil]

On 3.5.2016 at 9:01 PM, BillF said:

I recall John Collins on some Tadd Dameron sides: "Focus" etc.

He sounds beautiful on these sides!

[BillF]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

He sounds beautiful on these sides!

Yes indeed!