Jazz Brunch: Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few

GRAY is pleased to host Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few in conjunction with the exhibition McArthur Binion and Jules Allen: Me and You. A love of improvisational jazz brought the two artists together, having been originally introduced to one another by the pioneering cornetist, composer, and conductor Lawrence Douglas “Butch” Morris, amid the rich milieu of what Binion terms the “Second-generation Black avant-garde” of 70s and 80s New York City. Listening to musicians such as Jerome Cooper, Sonny Rollins, Henry Threadgill, Cecil Taylor and Julius Hemphill, Binion and Allen were likewise innovating and improvising within their mediums of painting and photography, combining formal rigor with personal and emotional content in their work.

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Isaiah Collier has been surrounded by music his entire life. Developing early skills with the piano, saxophone, and his own voice, and with his family’s encouragement, Isaiah began performing with his siblings in small clubs and lounges throughout Chicago. Collier credits the guidance of Julian Champion on the saxophone and other mentors for helping him develop his technique and knowledge of music history, a critical aspect of his sound and passion for music. Collier’s sound and approach are drawn from the influences of master saxophonists including John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Gene Ammons, as well as his mentors Roscoe Mitchell and Ari Brown.

At the age of only 25, Collier has shared the stage both locally and internationally with musicians including Chance The Rapper, Lewis Nash, Waddada Leo Smith III, Antonio Hart, Junius Paul, James Carter, Rene Marie, Carl Allen, Paul Rogers, Bennie Maupin, Rudy Van Gelder, Angel Bat Dawid. He has played at venues and festivals from notable places such as The Jazz Showcase, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Lithuania Jazz Festival, The White House, Chicago Jazz Festival, New York Winter Jazz Festival, The Hyde Park Jazz Festivals, Sons D’hiver Festival (Paris), The Logan Center, Frankfurt Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, The Harris Theatre, U.S Embassy in Paraguay, and many others. He is a former fellow of the prestigious Dave Brubeck Institute Stockton, CA.

Collier is best known for his work with his group "Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few". Their most recent project "The Unapologetic Negro" (2019) and their first release "Return of The Black Emperor" (2017). In addition to receiving a Five Star Review from Downbeat Magazine on his new project "Cosmic Transitions", recorded at The Legendary Rudy Van Gelder's Studio 2021), I AM Beyond 2022, Parallel Universe (2023).

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Gray Warehouse, 2044 West Carroll Avenue, Chicago, United States