FEB 6-8 | CUTTING-EDGE
Feb 06 - Feb 07, 2025
Joe Henderson Lab
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.
Original show description below.
An explosive young saxophonist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader, Isaiah Collier performs in the Joe Henderson Lab with a night devoted to his project I AM, with drummer Timothy Regis, and one with his band The Chosen Few, playing his latest music including songs from his most recent album The World Is On Fire.
A self-described “sonic scientist” at the forefront of the vibrantly creative Chicago scene, Collier has earned rapturous acclaim and a fervent following since the bow of his 2018 debut Return of the Black Emperor. He has collaborated with legends including Wadada Leo Smith and channels the churning, relentless energy of his hometown forebears the AACM and Art Ensemble of Chicago.
For his first night, Collier revisits his powerful alchemy with Ode, a volcanic drummer whose credits include Collier’s The Chosen Few, Gary Bartz, Wallace Roney, John Clayton, and Les McCann. Their 2022 release I AM Beyond echoes the inspired pairing of John Coltrane and Rashied Ali across its five extended improvisations.
Night two presents Colllier’s working quartet The Chosen Few – the saxophonist’s primary compositional and performance outlet with whom he has recorded a series of exploratory and spiritually charged albums culminating in his newest Division 81 recording, The Almighty. The album is centered around the four-part “Duality Suite” and the expansive title track featuring a double ensemble with strings and appearances by fellow Chicago luminaries Corey Wilkes on trumpet and Fred Jackson Jr. on alto saxophone.
An explosive young saxophonist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader, Isaiah Collier performs in the Joe Henderson Lab with a night devoted to his project I AM, and one with his band The Chosen Few.
PRESS
› Isaiah Collier Funnels a ‘Very Radical Time’ Into a Vivid New Album (The New York Times)
He has established himself as an heir apparent to both the Chicago lineage and the post-Coltrane sax tradition
The New York Times on isaiah collier
He has established himself as an heir apparent to both the Chicago lineage and the post-Coltrane sax tradition
The New York Times on isaiah collier
Personnel
I AM Personnel
Isaiah Collier tenor saxophone
Timothy Regis drums
The Chosen Few Personnel
Isaiah Collier tenor saxophone, vocals
Others TBA
The Chicago-based saxophonist... ...has transcended the realm of prodigy. It is not his age that shocks. It is what he’s playing.
Downbeat on Isaiah Collier
Personnel
I AM Personnel
Isaiah Collier tenor saxophone
Timothy Regis drums
The Chosen Few Personnel
Isaiah Collier tenor saxophone, vocals
Others TBA
The Chicago-based saxophonist... ...has transcended the realm of prodigy. It is not his age that shocks. It is what he’s playing.
Downbeat on Isaiah Collier
Watch & Listen
Confessions of the Heart
Omniscient: Mycelium
Confessions of the Heart
Omniscient: Mycelium