Artist: George Colligan


George Colligan is an American jazz pianist, organist, drummer, trumpeter, educator, composer, and bandleader. 

Colligan was born in New Jersey and raised in Columbia, Maryland. He attended the Peabody Institute, majoring in classical trumpet and music education. In high school, he learned to play the drums and later switched to piano. His playing is influenced by Chick CoreaMiles DavisHerbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and McCoy Tyner. 

As a sideman, he has worked with Phil Woods, Gary BartzRobin EubanksBilly Higgins, Lee Konitz, Nicholas PaytonSteve Wilson, Richard Bona, Cassandra WilsonChristian McBrideBuster WilliamsAl FosterDon ByronBenny Golson,  Lonnie Plaxico, and Vanessa Rubin. Colligan received a Chamber Music America Award for composition and won the Jazzconnect.com Award. He has released over twenty albums as a leader and has recorded over 100 albums as a sideman. 

Colligan has performed at festivals all over the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and the Cancun Jazz Festival. In 2007, for the first time, he played trumpet with the trio Mr. Trumpet at the annual Festival of New Trumpet Music in New York City. He taught at the Juilliard School. 

In September 2009, Colligan moved to Winnipeg to teach at the University of Manitoba. He taught jazz history, piano, drums, trumpet, and led master classes. He was songwriter-in-residence at Aqua Books from February to March 2011. In July 2011, Colligan moved to Portland, Oregon, to teach at Portland State University. 

Further information about George Colligan is found at GeorgeColligan.com.

Photography credit: William P. Gottlieb, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This content was excerpted from the Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Colligan, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).

George Colligan Quartet Live At The 2017 Ballard Jazz Festival

George Colligan: Videos

Jaleel Shaw and The George Colligan Trio - The Heavyweight Champion - The 1905

George Colligan Live At The Blue Whale " Just One Of Those Things"