http://www.jacobcollier.co.uk/about/
“Born in 1994, Jacob Collier is a musician, based in London, UK. Inspired by many trades, his music combines elements of Jazz, Folk, acapella, groove, songs, Trip-hop, Classical music, Brazilian music, Gospel, Soul and improvisation, which combine to make altogether a Jacob sound.
Born into a world of continuous music-making, and surrounded by a house full of music and a family of musicians, Jacob composed and created music from his earliest years, with no formal musical training. At the age of 8, he took on singing lessons, which led to many opportunities to perform and experience music as a treble singer and an actor: he travelled to Budapest in 2004 to play/sing the role of ‘Tiny Tim’ in the Hallmark film adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’, and then a few years later to Parma (Italy) Oviedo (Spain) and the London Coliseum (with ENO) to sing the role of ‘Miles’ in three separate productions of Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Turn of the Screw’. Other appearances include Keith Warner’s critically acclaimed production of “Wozzeck” at the Royal Opera House in London (2002), speaking the voice of young Mozart (Naxos audiobooks, 2002), and Mozart’s Magic Flute with ENO at the London Coliseum (2007). Extracting elements from all these experiences, Jacob continued to develop his own musical sound and outlook, using his voice, his hands, and the instruments around him.
At 14, having been awarded the gold medal by ABRSM for attaining the highest mark in the country for his Grade 8 Singing, Jacob joined the Royal College of Music Junior Department as a composer. Opportunities here included being commissioned to write a piece inspired by a Henry Moore sculpture, as part of a collaboration with the London School of Contemporary Dance. Around this time, Jacob got his hands on a double bass for the first time and began to explore the piano in greater depth. His love for harmony, rhythm and improvisation brought him to discover jazz; and, following this discovery, in September of 2010, Jacob joined the Royal Academy of Music Junior Jazz Department as a pianist, and the Purcell School, studying composition, jazz piano and voice, as well as for his A-levels.
It was around this time that Jacob began to share some music with the YouTube world, and he has since gained a huge following worldwide, with over 40,000 online subscribers from 156 countries, and more than two and a half million YouTube views. His fan base includes such luminaries as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Steve Vai and Take 6, to name a few.
Today and tomorrow, alongside ceaseless musical and general exploration, Jacob studies at London’s Royal Academy of Music as a Jazz Pianist. In addition to this, he is working towards an album, and developing a live concept, which he is ridiculously excited about.”
I am ridiculously excited about Jacob.
And here’s why:
("Don’t You Worry Bout a Thing")
("The Arrow and the Song")
(“Fascinating Rhythm”)
(“Oh What a Beautiful Morning”)
(“Pure Imagination”)
(“The Road Not Taken”)
(“I’ve Told Every Little Star”)
*
p.s. Hey. Maesto David Ehrenstein tips his hat -- in hopeful anticipation that your hats may tip accordingly -- towards Jacob Collier, whose multiplicitous musical talents and savvy re: video formatting and personal branding have made him and his stuff and his fondness for non-trendy musical styles a budding online sensation. What's your take? Please find out and talk about that with Mr. E today, thank you, and thank you, David. ** Jonathan, I am rising and escaping, yes, thank fucking god or whoever, and thank you for noticing that in an encouraging way, man. No, I was at death's door during Nuit Blanche. I didn't even hear it in the distance. It was very sad. You were in Brussel's, that's right. They did or were supposed to do NB that night too? Oh. Cool, Mark Leckey show, cool. Gábor Lázár ... don't think I know his stuff. Sounds good. I'll find it. Like Mark Fell, obviously. Thanks, man. Let's meet up soon. ** David Ehrenstein, Thank you mightily for today. Curious to see what people think. I can't make up my mind completely. Super talented dude, but there's something about it that gives me a headache, but I am still pre-completely-well. I can't be the only person to remark that he looks quite a little bit like Joseph Gordon-Levitt? ** Etc etc etc, Hey. I haven't yet watched an entire Joe Sarno film. Putting that post together was a discovery mission with bread trail kind of thing. I think 'FaL'is supposed to be a weaker one of his. Aw, shit, sorry about 'Vape', man. That shit is competitive, whoa. Go for round 2, absolutely. Fingers crossed to say the least. ** Dan, Hi. I'm going to put a thing up here on Monday re: the project/fundraising. Hope it helps! Take care! ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. I don't know that book 'The Other Hollywood', but, with those editors, I think has to be guaranteed really, really good or fun at the very least. Let me know. ** Keaton, Okay, I just clicked on your magic blue words a few times to be sure and was told that your blog does not exist. Uh, wtf?! ** Chris Dankland, Hi, Chris! I feel like I could watch that Karaoke cover of DG's 'Guillotine' for the rest of my life, or I want to at least, Thank you, man. I've been thinking about you so much the last ... has it really only been a week? Jesus. I'm really, really glad to hear that the conversation seems to be growing less toxic. I'm obviously outside all of this, being only an admirer and follower of a lot of the writers who've gotten corralled under the 'Alt Lit' tag, but watching it happen, evolve, unfold, explode, get coopted, sidetracked, attacked from within and without, etc. has been really, really disturbing. Again, I'm just an observer, but I think the boys club accusation rings totally false. If guy writers/editors have been taking advantage of their power situations in the scene, which has obviously been the case, then that's truly horrible, but one of the things I love about the new writing is that there is a complete absence of that hierarchy in terms of being able to find the work, read it, find criticism of it, develop opinions of your own, etc. And the majority of writers and makers of writing contexts who have excited me have been female from the outset. So the outside stamp of 'boys club' on 'Alt Lit' seemed lazy and very, very uninformed and even kind of evil in its aggressive ignorance to me. I hated that Gawker piece. I feel like its inaccurate, biased slant had a very big part in derailing what had seemed, to me, from out here, as a serious, thoughtful, painful initial conversation about what had happened. I also think the conflating of JS's fantasy 'fuck list' with real sexual assaults by so many people was scary and really unhelpful. I hate that people who have resented the new writing out of jealousy or conservatism or whatever else now have this distorted excuse to dismiss it and announce its death and all this other infuriating crap. I've just been hoping you guys can get through this with changing in mind but without thinking you need to destroy a scene that's been so important and beautiful. For me, Scott McClanahan's and, especially, Juliet Escoria's Facebook/blog responses yesterday and the day before were the first sane, refreshing thing I had seen written about what happened in days, and I was happy to see that you or someone had headlined it on ALG, and I was very happy to see the huge number of 'likes' it got. I don't know. Sorry to go on. Man, that book release party and getaway sounds like tonic, man. And concentrating on your own work is the most important thing. To me, and, really, I think, in general, this has always been about the writing, and the extraordinary writing and venues and support for writing has been what's made the writers called 'Alt Lit' constitute the most exciting period in American fiction in my lifetime. I've been hoping so much that it can get back to people writing and supporting each other as writers again. Yeah, interesting, what you say about the JT Leroy thing relative to your situation. Yeah, I get it. Anyway, again, I'm really sorry to go on. Watching all of that happen has been very sad and confusing and ... I hope I haven't just prolonged a conversation you might have come here to get a rest from. Love, me. ** Sypha, Thanks. Wow, yeah, I don't think you need to worry about getting Ebola, man. I'm glad you're able to write. That story sounds cool. ** Steevee, Hi. I agree with you that that's pretty much exactly what's happening. What is 'The Overnighters'? wait, I'll find out, thanks to you. Everyone, Steevee reviews Jesse Moss's new documentary film 'The Overnighters', which 'explores limits of Christian compassion, community in 21st century America', right here. Please read it. ** Misanthrope, Hi. I haven't seen the NYC Halloween parade in-person in, like, fuck, twenty years at least, so I don't know. Friends say and news reports suggest that it's just dark campiness in parade form, blah. ** Sickly, Hi. Oh, cool, thanks for sidetracking in my ... track? 'Providence' is god. One of the top 5 all-time gods, at the very least. For me, obviously. 'Mon oncle d'Amerique' is really good too. Cool. ** Okay. Sink yourselves into Jacob Collier today, okay? Thanks. See you tomorrow.