George Colligan: The Phyllis Wheatley Project featuring Zyanna

Saturday, September 2nd, 2023, 2PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30 – LIVESTREAM

Phyllis Wheatley was the first published African American poet. Enslaved in 1761, she became a household name and a catalyst for the abolition movement. George Colligan sets her poetry to music.

Tasting notes: energetic, melodious, innovative

George Colligan is not only one of the great jazz pianists of his generation, but he has earned an international reputation as a multi-instrumentalist (drums, trumpet, organ, keyboards), composer, accompanist, teacher, and bandleader, as well as popular blogger (jazztruth.blogspot.com). Winner of the 2015 DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll for Keyboard, he has had a long association with living jazz legend Jack DeJohnette and recent touring took Colligan around the U.S. with “An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover.” He has also recently toured the U.S. and Canada as a leader with his trio featuring legends Buster Williams and Lenny White. With over 130 albums to date as an accompanist, Colligan has worked with a long list of jazz greats, including John Scofield, Buster Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Botti, and many others. His latest album, King’s Dream (PJCE Records 2022) is his 36th as a bandleader.

Zyanna is a Portland and Los Angeles-based jazz and contemporary arranger, vocalist and vocal teacher with heavy influences from Neo-Soul, Rap, Gospel and Hard Rock Blues. Her reinterpretation and reharmonization of well known jazz standards and contemporary favorites keeps audiences on their toes.

Lineup: George Colligan, piano ; Zyanna, vocals ; Noah Simpson, trumpet ; Garrett Baxter, bass ; Domo Branch, drums

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