picture of George Colligan
George Colligan
George's first instrument was the trumpet, although he did take piano lessons for a brief period at age 7. It was clear that he was to pursue music as a career. In 1987, George enrolled at Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore as a trumpet and Music Education major. However, during his time at Peabody, his interest in the piano and jazz became stronger and he started gigging in hotels and clubs in town.
 
Upon graduation from Peabody in 1991, George promptly quit the trumpet to focus exclusively on the piano. He was freelancing more in the Baltimore area, playing with many different bands at night while practicing hard during the day. He also began composing more frequently. Additionally, George was the director of the Peabody Jazz Ensemble from 1991 to 1993.
In 1994 George was a semifinalist in two piano competitions; in Indianapolis and Jacksonville respectively. When Gary Bartz invited him to join his band for a week at Sweet Basil's, George decided to make the the move to New York (1995). He has been on this scene since then.
 
George plays regularly with the bands of Buster Williams, Don Byron, Lonnie Plaxico, Robin Eubanks, and David Gilmore. He has toured, recorded, and/or performed as a sideman with Cassandra Wilson, Gary Bartz, Gary Thomas, Steve Coleman, Eddie Henderson, Ralph Peterson, Vanessa Rubin, Steve Wilson, Jane Monheit, Ravi Coltrane, Lenny White, Michael Brecker, Mike Clark, Nicholas Payton, Sheila Jordan, Janis Siegel, Christian McBride, Billy Hart, Charles Fambrough, Mingus Big Band, Rodney Holmes, Michal Urbaniak, Mark Turner, David Binney, Don Braden, Shunzo Ono, Lee Konitz and Stefon Harris, among others.
 
In 2001, George began working with clarinetist Don Byron. He has performed with Mr. Byron in his Jungle Music project, which features early works of Ellington, and Bug Music, which features music of Raymond Scott. As part of Byron's Symphony Space Ensemble, George played keyboards and samples on a concert celebrating Sugar Hill, the record label of rap music in the early 80's.
 
Also worth noting is George's work with the Lonnie Plaxico Group, where George also plays Hammond B-3 organ and synthesizers. The group has toured Europe, Japan, and the U.S. Other highlights of George's activities include his tenure with Grammy winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson from 1999 to 2001. Not only did George tour with her in Japan, North America, and almost every country in Western Europe, but he appears with Cassandra in The Score, a movie which features Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton. George Colligan also won the 2001 jazzconnect.com competition. The winner was decided by over 18,000 voters deciding between three finalists.
contact: georgecolligan4@gmail
homepage: www.georgecolligan.com
on tour Click on the logo to see George's tour dates.

 

Discography
Unresolved
Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT 054CD
recorded in Paramus, NJ/USA
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer, trumpet, drums
Jon Gordon, soprano sax
Jon Gordon, alto sax
Mark Turner, tenor sax
Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar
Drew Gress, bass
Howard Curtis, drums
Pride
SteepleChase SCCD 31479
recorded May 1999
Lee Konitz, alto sax
George Colligan, organ, piano
Doug Weiss, bass
Darren Beckett, drums
Mélange
Blue Note 7243 5 32355 2 9
recorded in Brooklyn, NY/USA
Lonnie Plaxico, bass
Tim Ries, tenor sax
Marcus Strickland, tenor sax
Jeremy Pelt, trumpet
Lew Soloff, trumpet
George Colligan, organ, piano
Helen Sung, piano
Lionel Cordew, drums
Jeffrey Haynes, percussion
Going To Meet The Man
Koch Jazz KOCCD 61413
recorded April 2000 in Brooklyn, NY/USA
Mark Turner, tenor sax
Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar
Mark Gross, alto sax, soprano sax
George Colligan, piano, Hammond B-3 organ
Joshua Ginsburg, bass
H. Benjamin Schumann, drums
Live At The 5:01 Jazz Bar
Plaxmusic 39819
recorded live 02 May 2002 in Columbus, OH/USA
Lonnie Plaxico, bass
Alexander Pope Norris, trumpet
Marcus Strickland, sax
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ, piano
Nathaniel Townsley, drums
Mad Science
Sunny Sky 723
recorded December 2002 in Paramus, NJ/USA
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ
Tom Guama, guitars
Rodney Holmes, drums
Gary Thomas, tenor sax, flute
Rhythm & Soul
Sirocco Music SJL 1023
recorded January 2003
Lonnie Plaxico, bass
Marcus Strickland, soprano sax, tenor sax
Wayne Escoffery, tenor sax
Jeremy Pelt, trumpet
Alex Sipiagin, trumpet
George Colligan, organ, piano
Arene Lomax, piano
Billy Kilson, drums
Jeff Haynes, percussion
Aneilia Lomax, vocals
Realization
Sirocco SJL 1030
recorded September 2004 in New York/USA
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizers
Tom Guarna, guitars
Rodney Holmes, drums
Do The Boomerang
Blue Note 0946 3 41094 2 0
recorded December 2005 in Shokan, NY/USA
Don Byron, tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
Curtis Fowlkes, trombone
David Gilmore, guitar
Chris Thomas King, guitar, vocals
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ
Brad Jones, bass
Rodney Holmes, drums, tambourine
Dean Bowman, vocals
West Side Stories
Plaxmusic LLP 0004
Lonnie Plaxico, keyboards, bass
Steve Coleman, alto sax
Ravi Coltrane, alto sax
David Lee Jones, alto sax
Gary Thomas, tenor sax
Jeff Hermason, trumpet
Alex Norris, trumpet
George Colligan, Hammond B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes
Kenny Grohowski, drums
Khalil Kwame Bell, percussion
Jeff Haynes, percussion
Carla Cook, vocals
Cassandra Wilson, vocals
East Harlem Skyline
Zoho ZM 200902
recorded November 2007 and March 2008 in New York, NY/USA
Greg Skaff, guitar
George Colligan, organ
George Laks, organ
Darryl Jones, bass
Charley Drayton, drums, percussion
E.J. Strickland, drums
In Monk's Mood
SteepleChase 31675
recorded October 2008
John Tchicai, alto sax
George Colligan, piano, Hammond B-3 organ
Steve LaSpina, bass
Billy Drummond, drums
Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall
BBC recording
recorded November 2012 in London/Great Britain
Jack DeJohnette, drums
Don Byron, clarinet, tenor sax
Marvin Sewell, guitar
George Colligan, piano, keyboards, pocket trumpet
Jerome Harris, electric bass
Extension Deadline
bjurecords BJUR 052
recorded June 2013 in Warren, NJ/USA
Alex Norris, trumpet, flugelhorn
Gary Thomas, tenor sax
George Colligan, Hammond A-100 organ
Rudy Royston, drums
The Golden Mean
SteepleChase SCCD 33120
recorded September 2014
Joe Manis, tenor sax, bass clarinet
George Colligan, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ
Lillie Manis, viola
Kevin Congleton, drums

 
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