Isaiah Collier

Isaiah Collier is a Chicago native, born and raised on the city’s South Side. A composer, arranger, educator, and self-described “Sonic Scientist,” Collier has emerged as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary jazz. His work has earned numerous accolades from prestigious institutions and publications across the world. 

 

Among his many honors, Collier has been named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow, Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz (2024), and was featured on the front cover of DownBeat Magazine, the world’s oldest jazz publication. His music has also been recognized by The New York Times, where his work was listed among the Best Jazz Albums of the Year. His groundbreaking suite, The Story of 400 Years, was spotlighted on NPR’s Jazz Night in America, and he has been honored with the DownBeat Critics Poll award as well as being named Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. 

 

Collier is known for his relentless pursuit of blending the rich traditions of the past with the urgency of the present to forge the sound of the future. Described as a maverick of creative and improvisational force, he has collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Kahil El’Zabar, Ambrose Akinmusire, Craig Taborn, Joe Dyson, Azar Lawrence, NEA Jazz Masters Billy Hart, Marshall Allen, and Denardo Coleman (son of free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman), as well as Nicole Mitchell, Randy Brecker, Billy Harper, Marquis Hill, and Makaya McCraven. He is also widely known for his powerful ensemble, The Chosen Few. 

 

A proud member of the legendary Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Collier stands firmly within the lineage of Chicago’s rich tenor saxophone legacy. He is a mystic of sound, a servant to his craft and culture, and an artist who channels both reverence and innovation in every note. 

 

DownBeat Magazine has hailed him as “The Next Sax Giant”—a title befitting an artist who continues to reshape the sonic landscape of modern jazz.