“deftly throws funk, gospel, soul and his own fine voice into the mix” – The Guardian
Isaiah Collier is a musical virtuoso in the truest sense of the phrase. He began playing saxophone at age 11, and his intuitive proficiency earned him attention early on. Ever since his band Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few has been turning ears.
There’s a regal, elegant manner to Isaiah’s stage presence: he’s over six feet tall, thin, deep brown, with high cheekbones. When not playing, he is patiently waiting – not contemplating his next move, but listening to the musicians who accompany him, listening to their stories. He explains that he’s never really hearing himself, he’s hearing others play: some people have fire, others have air. “That’s how I hear. There has to be a balance.”
Isaiah Coller’s sound is a dynamic flurry of metaphors, yet he can hold back when necessary. He plays his influences, which he describes as a “sonic time machine; you can’t really put a time or destination on it.” As far as where he plans to take his music, Collier says, “I reach backward and forwards simultaneously when creating art and what is ahead of me is the past.”
Omar Abdulkarim has been playing trumpet since the early age of 14 months. Omar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the renowned New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He has shared the stage with Roy Hargrove, Redman, Method Man, KRS-ONE and Talib Kweli to mention a few. Omar has also had the pleasure of performing with Nicholas Payton’s Television Studio Orchestra and Valerie Ponomarev’s Big Band. Omar has written and recorded with Lauryn Hill and Jose James. His influences include Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, John Coltrane, and Lee Morgan.
Recommended for Fans of Kamasi Washington, Kenny Garrett, Joshua Redman and Branford Marsalis.
Photo: Michelle Reid
Learn More: https://www.colliersworld.com/
