Vanessa Collier
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE
Music
Press
This group is made up of Berklee graduates and they PLAY the BLUES. Band members include Vanessa (vocals/alto sax), Noe Socha (guitar/harp), Jordan Rose (drums) Justin Schornstein (bass) and Eric Finland (keys/piano). They did a 2 set show to an audience whose members had grandchildren older than these band members. The audience sat transfixed throughout both sets. Rising only to applaud. They did some classic BLUES tunes, some original compositions and a few that were new to me. Noe Socha had me leaning forward several times with guitar or harp solos. sometimes doing it simultaneously. Eric Finland knows where the BLUES come from and I mean deep inside. He showed the understanding necessary. Vanessa herself, left me with jaws agape. First her voice. Powerful yet under control. A feeling for the BLUES and when she puts the horn to her lips and BLOWS, man o man o man. Justin and Jordan both had opportunities to show off and did not disappoint. It is wonderful that young musicians have taken up the torch of the genre. If you closed your eyes you would have thought some of them had grey hair. I hope I get the chance to hear them "live" again somewhere. - Al Kanovsky
Discography
From The Boiler Room - Jorge Perez (2011)
The Total Plan - Marty Walsh (2014)
heart soul & saxophone - Vanessa Collier (2014)
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Bio
Vanessa is a captivating and multitalented blues vocalist, saxophonist, and songwriter, hailing from the world-renowned Berklee College of Music where she earned dual degrees in Performance and Music Production & Engineering. Prior to releasing her debut album in July 2014, Vanessa spent a year and a half touring with Grammy Award-winning, Blues Hall of Fame Artist Joe Louis Walker. Vanessa has also played alongside Annie Lennox, Kathy Mattea, Willie Nelson, and other notable artists.
Most recently, Vanessa was honored as a top three finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for her original song "Bad News Bears", was featured as Elwood’s Blues Breaker Featured Artist of the week in October 2014, and subsequently honored as an elite Best of 2014 Blues Breaker (Elwood’s BluesMobile House of Blues Radio) in December 2014.
On her debut album, heart soul & saxophone, Vanessa demonstrates her skills as a master musician and songwriter, blending her blues background with elements of funk, rock, and soul as she reveals her musical prowess, effortlessly transitioning from songs full of fiery, powerful vocals and gritty saxophone solos to soul-stirring ballads packed with raw emotion. Rounding out her dynamic band are standout Berklee musicians: Eric Finland (keys), Jordan Rose (drums), Justin Schornstein (bass), and NoéSocha (guitar and harmonica).
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