By Jessica Schultz
Every now and again you get a chance to hear a musician play and for a moment, you are transported somewhere else, where the music lives inside of you. One of those musicians is Vanessa Collier. She started playing the saxophone in fourth grade and hasn’t looked back since. She’s won three Blues Music Awards, two of those were for Horn Player of the Year in both 2019 and 2020 and has been nominated seven times. Vanessa is a powerhouse, graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Performance and Music Production and another in Engineering. She tours extensively and has released 3 critically acclaimed albums. The Villager had the great opportunity to speak with Vanessa Collier on her upcoming show in Chautauqua and her plans for the rest of the year.
The Villager (V): You have a very colorful career, what drew you to music in the first
place?
Vanessa Collier (VC): “I really loved the music at church, particularly the vocal harmonies and I used to sing a lot at home. Then, my mom took piano lessons with me and I really liked to play piano, but I didn’t like the teacher because she would hit my hands while I played and so I quit. A few months later I heard a saxophone on a TV show and I begged my mom for 6-8 months to rent a saxophone and when it came time to start a band instrument, she rented me an alto saxophone. I absolutely loved it and took to it right away. I would actually just open up books and sight-read a piece for fun. And since then, I haven’t looked back!”
V: Who would you say is your inspiration?
VC: “In life, my inspiration is my mom 100%. She’s kind and caring and a total powerhouse and she’s always encouraged me to do my best, regardless of the circumstances. She’s worked hard to make sure I could have all the great opportunities I’ve had. Musically, I loved Cannonball Adderley right from the start – he’s soulful and passionate as a player and I couldn’t get enough. My other favorite is my mentor, Chris Vadala, who played with Chuck Mangione for over 20 years. He gave me my foundation in saxophone – with a focus on tone, timing, and technique – and he allowed me the space to express myself, which has made all the difference in my musical career.
V: You’re coming to the Bellini Lounge Live in the Chautauqua Suites, could you give the details on that, like date, time etc..?
VC: “Yes! I’m so excited to come back to the area! The show is on July 1st at 8:30pm. Ticket link is here in case you need it: https://events.eventgroove.com/event/Vanessa-Collier-64032”
V: What type of shows are your favorite to perform; small or large venues?
VC: “I love them both, honestly. Small venues allow you to have a really unique, intimate show where you see all audience member’s facial expressions and reactions to the band. But it’s also cool because I usually play a different set with more lyric based songs that take everyone on a journey. I like the smaller venues to feel like we’re sitting in someone’s living room. Larger venues and festivals are always fantastic because it’s a whole big group of people who are already excited to see what’s going to happen. So, there’s already an incredible energy coming from the audience from the first note and then we just push it further with higher energy songs. It’s just a different journey.”
V: What are your plans for the rest of 2022?
VC: “Lots of touring across the US and we’ll spend about 3 weeks in Europe and travel to Romania as well! I’ll also be releasing a live album and Blu-Ray disc in the fall, which I can’t wait for! The mixes sound incredible and the band is the best band I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting together. It will be a killer record!”
V: Anything else to add?
VC: “I’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign where people can pre-order the CD or Blu-Ray of my first-ever live album! We recorded this record at the historic Powerstation Studios in NYC over two days with a full film and audio production crew (including a couple of my college professors). I’m an independent artist with my own record label, Phenix Fire Records, and I love to continue making music the way I hear it in my head, without interference from a label. It’s important to me to be able to express myself freely on any album I make and my fans have helped me do that with 3 previous records. I’m excited to get this one in their hands as well!”
Thank you, Vanessa, for taking the time out of a very busy schedule to speak with us and for sharing your story. Looking forward to you visiting the Bellini Lounge in the Chautauqua Suites on July 1st. To purchase tickets, call +1 716-269-7829 or visit https://events.eventgroove.com/event/Vanessa-Collier-64032.