February 24, 2019 – Andrew Collins Trio – Rescheduled!
[gigpress_related_shows]This concert is being rescheduled to to circumstances beyond our control. Please stay posted for more news.
Mando maestro Andrew Collins finds himself – through no actual fault of his own – at the epicentre of Canada’s burgeoning acoustic/roots music scene. He didn’t invent it – but he’s certainly been a contributor, having co-founded seriously noteworthy Canadian bands like the Creaking Tree String Quartet, the Foggy Hogtown Boys and, more recently, his namesake Andrew Collins Trio. That’s not to mention the fact that this prolific, robust performer – comfortable on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola and mandocello – composes, produces, arranges, writes and teaches across multiple genres, including a popular collision of folk, jazz, bluegrass, celtic, and classical.
Andrew Collins Trio
As Collins gathers up innumerable JUNO nominations (5) and Canadian Folk Music Awards (7) won by his various ensembles, he’s zeroing in on the work he does with Trio-mates: fellow string guru Mike Mezzatesta, whose versatility shines through on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola, and in-the-pocket James McEleney holding it down on the bass, mandocello and vocals. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and Co. appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman.
They just released a new double album, grafting 11 vocal cuts (tongues) to 11 instrumentals (grooves) to create a seamless finish with their cleverly monikered double album, Tongue & Groove. Each cut is milled to perfection and represents a back-to-basics visitation on what the band does best — spontaneity of the stage and rapid-fire, improvisational exchanges.
#1 Canadian artist receiving airplay on Folkdj (out of 14,052 airplays) – October, 2016
Boundaries? What boundaries? Mandolinist Andrew Collins ignores them all! – Penguin Eggs
Light of touch, fast of wit, copiously imaginative, and a musical scholar of the highest distinction, Toronto mandolin virtuoso pulls out all the stops. -Toronto Star
To call Andrew Collins a master of the mandolin would be putting it mildly…. artfully arranged string music perhaps best described as ‘chambergrass’ shines through – 4/5 stars. – Exclaim! Magazine
Rendering poetry out of strings…[Collins’] compositional virtuosity…demonstrates his track record as a 5-time Juno nominated and 6-time Canadian Folk Award winner. – Spill Magazine
Listen to the Andrew Collins Trio on Spotify
Awards
► 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winner – Instrumental Group of the Year (ACT)
► 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominee – Producer Of The Year (ACT)
► 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winner – Instrumental Group Of The Year (ACT)
► 2012 Juno Awards Nominee – Instrumental Album Of The Year (Solo)
► 2011 Juno Awards – 2x Nominee – Roots & Traditional Album / Instrumental Album (Creaking Tree String Quartet)
► 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards Winner – Instrumental Group Of The Year (CTSQ)
► 2010 Juno Awards Nominee – Instrumental Album Of The Year (CTSQ)
► 2008 Central Canada Bluegrass Awards – Band Of The Year (Foggy Hogtown Boys)
► 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards – 2x Winner – Instrumental Group Of The Year/Pushing The Boundaries (CTSQ)
► 2006 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Winner – Pushing The Boundaries (Solo)
► 2005 Central Canada Bluegrass Awards – Mandolin Player of the Year (Solo)
► 2005 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Winner – Pushing The Boundaries (CTSQ)
► 2005 Juno Awards – Nominee – Roots Traditional Album Of The Year (CTSQ)