John Collins (jazz guitarist)

John Elbert Collins ( born September 20, 1913 in Montgomery, Alabama; † 4 October 2001 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American jazz guitarist of swing and bebop.

Life and work

John Collins had as a child was taught by his mother Georgia Gorham, the bandleader and pianist. First experience as a professional musician, he collects 1932-35 in the orchestra of his mother, then with Art Tatum in Chicago ( 1935) and Roy Eldridge (1936-39 ). In 1940 he went to New York, where he worked with Benny Carter, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Fletcher Henderson. After serving in the U.S. Army ( 1942-46 ), he worked in New York City Slam Stewart Quartet ( 1946-48 ), with whom he attended in May 1948 in Paris at the Jazz Festival, and with Erroll Garner. After that he played in the 1949-51 trio of Billy Taylor, 1951 at Nat King Cole, with whom he visited in 1954 and 1960, Europe. In 1961 he participated in Benny Carter's Further Definitions album. In the late 1960s he worked with Bobby Troup. In 1983 he toured with own trio through Europe; In 1988 he accompanied Carmen McRae. Even in the 1990s, Collins appeared occasionally in Los Angeles, but was most active as a music educator.

The influence of Charlie Christian Collins counted alongside Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel and Irving Ashby of the most important Bebop guitarists. In 1947 he was awarded the Star Award Esquire; later he was awarded the Los Angeles Jazz Society. He can be heard on recordings by Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, Tadd Dameron, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, Fats Navarro, Ike Quebec, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams and Zoot Sims.