Pat Collins

Biography

PATRICK (PAT) COLLINS (bassist, pianist) was born in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada. He began taking piano lessons at the age of six, and at the age of thirteen, turned to the electric bass. He continued playing electric bass throughout high school, forming a trio with pianist/saxophonist Phil Dwyer and drummer Rich Cave, performing at music festivals across Canada. Jazz continued to be his musical focus, and after graduating from high school, learned the acoustic bass under the skilled tutelage of Vancouver bassist/producer Rick Kilburn who had taken up residence in Qualicum Beach after years living in New York and performing with the greats including Dave Beubeck, Jerry Bergonzi, and John Scofield there.

Collins studied with Kilburn for four years, including two years at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, B.C., which led to an audition with Phil Mattson and a 1986 touring gig with the Phil Mattson Singers performing concerts and doing clinics all over North America. Upon completion of his tour with Phil Mattson, he attended the Berklee College of Music, in Boston, where he studied with renowned educators Herb Pommeroy and Hal Crook and studied bass with John Rapucci, Dave Clark and Bruce Gertz. He also performed in concert and club venues throughout New England, with jazz luminaries including Danillo Perez, Delfaeyo Marsalis, Julian Joseph, Jim Black, and Antonio Hart.

Pat Collins moved to Toronto in 1988, and got a top-level entry into Toronto’s jazz community when Moe Koffman asked him to join his quintet (with Ed Bickert, Bernie Senensky and Barry Elmes), a break that led to opportunities to travel throughout Canada, the United States, and Germany. At the time, Koffman's band performed one week per month at the famous jazz club, George's Spaghetti House, where Pat played regularly with leading local and national lights. He has performed with a long list of the elite of Canadian jazz musicians including Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall, Rob McConnell, Peter Appleyard, Don Thompson, John Ballantyne, Campbell Ryga, Ed Bickert, Lorne Lofsky, Hugh Fraser, Oliver Jones, Denzal Sinclaire, Renee Rosnes, Dave McMurdo, and Shirley Eikhard. He has also worked with international jazz artists including Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Jerry Bergonzi, Kenny Wheeler, Jimmy Cobb, Lee Konitz, Ray Bryant, Bill Mays, Tal Farlow, Barry Harris, and Herb Ellis.

In recent years, Collins has also been a busy educator, serving on the music faculty at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, the Kincardine Summer Music Festival, and "The" Jazz Camp in Parry Sound, Ontario. He has adjudicated at music festivals all across Canada including MusicFest Canada, and done clinics all over North America.

After appearing on more than 50 recordings as a sideman, he recorded and released his first CD under his own leadership in January of 2005. Entitled "In The Moment" (Cornerstone), the album comprises all original music composed by Pat Collins and featuring some of Canada's finest jazz musicians - Mike Murley on saxophones, guitarist Reg Schwager, and Barry Elmes on drums.

AWARDS

2006 - National Jazz Awards Nominee as "Acoustic Bassist of the Year"

2006 - National Jazz Awards Nominee (The Pat Collins Quartet) as “Acoustic Group of the Year”