The O’Zone | The Next Sax Giant!
His name is Isaiah Collier, and he was on the cover of DownBeat.
They called him “The Next Sax Giant,” and after seeing both of his shows during the inaugural Denver Jazz Fest at Dazzle, I am more than inclined to agree with that moniker. Isaiah demurred, saying, “A lot of others deserved that cover more than me.”
Naw, I disagree. He IS the next sax giant. Isaiah’s chops are supernatural, but they are tempered with jazz wisdom and jazz lineage.
Those shows join a short, precious list of the best I've ever seen. If you were there, you could tell other jazz fans what you saw…the future.
His journey began at 11 years of age, the word “prodigy” emerges in my mind.” But that assumes a completely gifted ability without the time woodshedding to develop the fire of his sound.
“You have to be great enough to be yourself at all times.” —Isaiah Collier
The confidence Collier has in his playing is of such a level that one draws comparisons to tenured jazz masters much older than Collier.
“My Mother and Father were in the church, my Father serviced on the organ, and my Mother was a choir director and also sang in the choir as well, so then we started singing in church. I did that until the age of 11, which is when I got my hands on a saxophone, and I slowly started finding my way to the things that I wanted to hear.” —Isaiah Collier
Many a jazz musician started in the church and were informed by the music there, but like any young person, moved into the music du jour.
As I sat there at Dazzle, I was transfixed by the depth of his ideas and the flow of his creativity. The fact that he mentioned John Coltrane and Pharoah
Sanders sent me into making the comparison to them, but he also mentioned Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, John Gilmore and Clifford Jordan.
And as I listened, I was not hearing a young man still under the sway of his musical heroes but rather an individual who has achieved a level of playing and invention that sets him apart from those players. Realizing that gave me the understanding that history was being made in the cascade of sound emanating from his tenor. (Which he played exclusively in his first set of the night)
I will never forget what I saw and heard that night. His modesty and swagger were embodied in the same new jazz giant.
“You have to be present in the moment.” Collier says. “I make music to reflect the moment. I didn’t see Jim Crow like those before me, but your life and surroundings inform your playing.”
Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few have released an acclaimed and important recording in their latest album, The World Is on Fire, released just before the presidential election, adding an extra layer of implied meaning. Isaiah’s playing is both heartfelt and tender while maintaining fury and passion. The title track begins with a piano vamp that states the meaning of the title. Pianist Julian Davis Reid opens a gateway for Collier’s burning emotional ferocity as he states the melody on his muscular tenor. Michael Shekwoaga Ode’s thunderous drums and Jeremiah Hunt’s powerful bass propel this composition into a realm of compelling immediacy. I listen to the album, and I am transported to the concert again, and that is priceless! I think of the concert and I am reminded that this music is a manifestation of struggle and triumph over catastrophe, and I am reminded of Trane’s Alabama.
As Collier states to close his liner notes. “This album is more than a collection of songs; it’s a passionate plea for awareness, understanding, and change. Thank you for joining me on this journey through sound and reflection.
It would be obvious to state the future of the music is in good hands, it’s more accurate to state JAZZ LIVES!
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