Cal Collins

Calvin "Cal" Collins (* 5. May 1933 in Medora , Indiana ; † 27. August 2001 in Dillsboro , Indiana) was an American jazz - guitarist .

Initially influenced by bluegrass and country music , Cal Collins initially played the mandolin in the early 1950s before turning to jazz under the influence of the music of Nat King Cole , George Shearing , Art Tatum , Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian . After completing his military service, he moved to Cincinnati , where he began playing as a jazz guitarist and performed mainly in Indiana and Ohio over the next few decades . From 1976 he was a member of Benny Goodman's band for three years . From the late 1970s onwards, Collins recorded regularly under his own name for Concord Jazz ; he also appeared as a house guitarist on numerous releases of the label. Collins played with Marshall Royal , Rosemary Clooney , Monty Budwig , Jeff Hamilton , Herb Ellis , Ray Brown , Buddy Tate , Scott Hamilton , Frank Vincent , Warren Vaché , Nat Pierce and Jake Hanna . In 1993 he went on tour with Doc Watson , Jerry Douglas and Cephas & Wiggins as part of the Masters of the Steel String Guitar . In his later years he performed mostly in Cincinnati; he died in 2001 of liver failure .

Discography