George Colligan

George Colligan is a pianist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and educator whose leader catalog connects New York and Portland.

PianoComposerMulti-instrumentalistEducator7 current shows

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Photo source · Photo: Hreinn Gudlaugsson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Career Overview

About George Colligan

Colligan's official biography identifies him as a pianist, composer, bandleader, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist who also performs on organ, drums, trumpet, and keyboards. It separates an extensive sideman career from his own groups and a long musical association with drummer Jack DeJohnette.[1]

After fifteen years in New York, Colligan moved to Portland and became a professor at Portland State University. His leader work includes a trio with Buster Williams and Lenny White, the Portland State-centered King's Dream, and archival projects such as Humanity that connect composition with distinct acoustic and electric ensembles.[1][2][3]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader, pianist, and composer

George Colligan Trio

Colligan's biography documents touring under his own name with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, one edition within a broader sequence of leader groups.[1]

Collaborator

Jack DeJohnette collaborations

The official biography records a long association with DeJohnette that included United States touring in the drummer's project with tap dancer Savion Glover.[1]

Professor, leader, and composer

Portland State projects

Colligan's Portland work connects teaching with performance; King's Dream features Portland State faculty and alumni and is identified by his biography as his thirty-sixth leader album.[1][2]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

Past-Present-Future

Trio leader and pianist

The official discography presents this trio recording with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart.[2]

Release details

2020 · Ultimatum Records

Humanity

Leader, Fender Rhodes player, and composer

The artist-run Bandcamp documents a 2003 New York session with Gary Thomas, Drew Gress, and Ralph Peterson released as an eight-part program in 2020.[3]

Release details

2022 · PJCE Records