Tom Collier and Dan Dean have been making music together for almost 40 years, but they鈥檝e only managed to make two recordings in that time 鈥� the last one 25 years ago. Now, however, they have a new CD out, and the 天美影院audience can get a preview of some of that music at a concert Thursday, Nov. 18 in Brechemin Auditorium.
Collier, director of percussion studies at the 天美影院School of Music, will play vibes, while Dean, a 天美影院graduate who heads DDP, a company that creates sampled instrument libraries for GigaStudio and other formats, will play electric bass. The concert is part of the music school鈥檚 Mallet Head Series.
Collier and Dean began their joint music making at an early age, when Collier鈥檚 family moved into Dean鈥檚 West Seattle neighborhood. Collier described their meeting this way:
鈥淪hortly after we moved in this kid came over, said he鈥檇 heard me practicing and he wanted to see my drums. He started messing around with them and pretty soon we were playing together regularly.鈥�
Starting with USO shows for Vietnam-bound troops, which they performed with Collier鈥檚 family, the two progressed to playing professionally in a jazz piano trio while still in their teens.
Collier, who is three years older, entered the 天美影院first and studied jazz with William O. Smith, now a professor emeritus. 鈥淚 was playing in a student group he coached, and one night he asked me if I could perform in a gig he had lined up,鈥� Collier said. 鈥淭hat was unusual, to get to perform with a professor, and a great opportunity for me.鈥�
He continued with Smith鈥檚 group, and one night when their bass player couldn鈥檛 make a gig, Collier recommended Dean. The three eventually became the Bill Smith Trio, playing jazz and contemporary music at clubs around Seattle.
Both Collier and Dean spent some time in Los Angeles after college, mostly recording music for films and TV. It was after both had returned, in 1979, that their only other recording 鈥� called Whistling Midgets 鈥� was made.
鈥淚t got good reviews and sold pretty well for a jazz album, but the record company went bankrupt halfway through the promotion, so it was a long time before we could get the rights back,鈥� Collier said.
Meanwhile, Collier began teaching at the 天美影院School of Music and Dean became deeply involved in music production. The years slipped by, and although the two continued to perform together from time to time, they didn鈥檛 make any more recordings.
Then last year, they just decided it was time. Duets is the result, a CD that includes jazz standards such as John Coltrane鈥檚 “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis鈥� “So What,” along with two new compositions each by Collier and Dean. They鈥檒l be playing that music at the concert.
鈥淧laying with Dan is a pleasure because we know each other鈥檚 moves so well,鈥� Collier said. 鈥淛azz is 90 percent improvisation, and we can follow each other and anticipate each other鈥檚 moves. It鈥檚 hard to do that unless you know someone well.鈥�
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert are $12 ($10 for students and seniors) and are available at the door.