Tom Collier - The Color of Wood (2022)

Internationally acclaimed in jazz, classical and pop circles, vibraphonist/marimbist/Professor Emeritus, Tom Collier remains on his incredible musical journey of over six decades with “The Color of Wood”, a powerful, musically-mesmerizing solo performance.

“The Color Of Wood” is a jazz-based marimba album performed entirely on rosewood bars by Collier. The recording features new original compositions written specifically for the marimba, several older previously ensemble-recorded originals, and a few unique arrangements of pop/jazz standards thrown in for fun.

While marimba albums are quite common in the classical world, only a scant few jazz marimba albums have been released over the years making “The Color Of Wood” a very unique recording in the jazz canon. While many of the tracks on “The Color Of Wood” were made in one single pass, several other compositions incorporated two, three, or four overdub passes to enrich the sound and artistic intent of the music. In any case, the music was performed entirely on marimba by a single performer (except for the use of a tambourine also played by Collier on one track).