Hello, I'm Tom Collier and I'm a vibraphonist/marimbist based in Seattle, Washington. I'm pleased that you have found my web site, 8 Decades Behind (Vibes and Marimba) Bars. I hope you will find my posts appealing, especially if you enjoy learning about musicians who may not be household names, but nevertheless, have enjoyed a long, successful career in music.
8 Decades Behind (vibes & Marimba) Bars chronicles the career of Tom Collier between 1954 and today, from Tommy Collier “Boy Wonder On The Marimba” to Tom Collier “Music Professor Emeritus, University of Washington” (and everything in between). Since my musical experiences run the gamut from jazz to classical to pop, there is something here for everyone, musically speaking.
You'll find four primary menu items on this page:
Scrapbook / History – 70+ years of photos, programs, and mementos from concerts and gigs
Music Videos – recorded music from my mallet vault as well as tracks from my albums
Dig Here – intriguing recording suggestions from a century (plus) of jazz, classical, and pop mallet artists, including such innovators as Charles p. Lowe, George Hamilton Greene, Red Norvo, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Gary Burton, Sasha Berliner, Warren Wolf, Nancy Zeltsma, and many others
Discography – a comprehensive list & photos of my own albums as well as other artists' albums on which I played
Album Reviews – past and current magazine and newspaper reviews of my albums
I Performed With – a comprehensive list of significant jazz, classical and pop musicians and artists 2ith whom I've performed and/or recorded with
Photo Gallery – 70 years of photos
And So On – whatever doesn't fit under the other categgories
About/Contact/Links – my brief resumé (not included – my complete 70 page performance timeline)
I've spent all but five years of my life playing xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone (I was five years old at my first performance) and I have a lot of history and music to share. Everything posted on 8 Decades Behind (Vibes and Marimba) Bars comes from my personal date calendars (dating back to 1966), my Mom's music diary (1959-1962), newspaper and magazine articles, scrapbook mementos, and a few video clips, some of which I will be sharing here.