Isaiah Collier – Saxophonist and Composer

Isaiah Collier is an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader associated with Chicago’s contemporary jazz scene.

His musical language is rooted in the African American jazz tradition and maintains a particularly close relationship with spiritual jazz, while incorporating elements of gospel, soul, funk, and different musical expressions from across the African diaspora.

As the leader of his own projects, including Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few, he has developed a body of work centered on improvisation, ancestry, and spiritual exploration. His work has also led him to collaborate with musicians including Wadada Leo Smith, Angel Bat Dawid, and Chance the Rapper.

Albums such as Cosmic Transitions and Parallel Universe reveal different dimensions of his musical language, from an expansion of John Coltrane’s legacy to a broader exploration of Black music, the African diaspora, and Afrofuturism.