Duet for Two Violins in A Major, K.331; 7. Alla turca
(Tom Collier)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This track is a preview of my newest project: an album of classical violin duets arranged for marimba and vibraphone. Duet for Two Violins in A Major, K.331 was actually Mozart's rearrangement of his Sonata No. 12 in A Major for Piano. So, my arrangement is a further rearrangement of the violin arrangement of a famous piano sonata (hopefully not too confusing!). The seventh section (or movement) of the piece, Alla Turca, is offered here. My plan is to release the violin duets album later in 2011 or early 2012.
Released October 10, 2011
Mallet Jazz
(Tom Collier)
Tom Collier
My composition, Mallet Jazz, was composed 10 years before the Origin CD of the same title was recorded in 2003. I made a demo recording of Mallet Jazz (the tune) in 1994, but shelved it since it was not compatible with projects I was working on at the time. I brought the tune "out of mothballs" when the opportunity to do a jazz album for Origin came about and the resulting track featured some of L.A.'s finest including Emil Richards on marimba, pianist Mike Lang, drummer Joe Porcaro and my musical cohort Dan Dean on bass. This, however, is the 1994 demo version with me playing vibes, marimba, and synthesizer bass and drums. It's faster and "snappier" (but less "jazzy") than the 2003 recording.
Chase The Wind
(Tom Collier & Dan Dean)
Dan Dean
Chase The Wind was recorded by Collier & Dean live at KPLU radio studios in Parkland, WA during one of their 1984 NPR fund raising drives. The announcer at the end of the track was Charles Tamares, host of one of the several jazz shows produced for NPR by KPLU at that time.
Released February 12, 2012
Hagan's Hoe Down
(Tom Collier & Dan Dean)
Tom Collier
In preparation for recording their first album for Inner City Records, Tom Collier & Dan Dean made demo recordings of the tunes that would eventually appear on Whistling Midgets in 1981. The 1979 demo version of Hagan's Hoe Down features Collier playing vibes, marimba, electric piano and drums with Dan Dean on electric bass. For this demo recording the duo used a Teac 3340 4-track tape recorder in Tom's basement studio.
Fog Tight
(Tom Collier & Dan Dean)
Tom Collier
This is a demo version of Fog Tight recorded in 1979 by Tom Collier and Dan Dean on a Teac 3340 4-track tape recorder in Tom's basement. The final version of Fog Tight appeared on Collier & Dean's 1981 Whistling Midgets record featuring saxophonist Gary Herbig, pianist Don Grusin and drummer Alex Acuña. This demo track, however, features Collier playing marimba, vibes, drums and electric piano with Dan Dean playing electric bass.
Davenport Blues
(Tom Collier & Dan Dean)
Bix Beiderbecke
I recorded Bix Beiderbecke's Davenport Blues with Ry Cooder for his 1978 Warner Brothers "Jazz" album. A year later, having relocated from Los Angeles to Seattle, I began performing a similar arrangement of the song with bassist Dan Dean although, for whatever reason, we stopped playing it after a few weeks. One live recording of Davenport Blues has survived - performed on October 12th 1979 at the original Jazz Alley in the University District of Seattle.
Released February 12, 2012
Episode 19
(Tom Collier)
Tom Collier
I found this interesting recording in a stack of demos that I made in Los Angeles and Seattle during 1978-79. Episode 19 was written in your basic "19/8" meter divided 5+5+5+4. The vibraphone, marimba, electric piano and electric bass parts are additive and repetitive giving the piece a minimalist feeling. I played all of the parts except for the electric bass played by Dave Parlato.
Dizzy Fingers
(Walt Wagner featuring Tom Collier)
Zez Confrey
In 1974, Tom Collier and his wife Cheryl performed with pianist Walt Wagner in various west coast clubs and concert halls. This live recording features Tom playing Zez Confrey's classic Dizzy Fingers on the marimba with Cheryl on piccolo. Recorded at a nightclub called "Downstairs At The Olympic" (Hotel) in Seattle, Walt, Tom and Cheryl are joined by drummer Jim Ganduglia and bassist Dan Dean.