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| Hometown | Forest Hills, NY |
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George Colligan organ, keyboard
Tom Guarna guita
Kenny Grohowski drum
Biograph
George Colligan and Mad Science thrills listeners with intense, lyrical and cinematic compositions. The group’s new sound for an organ trio combines the the raw funk of Tower of...
Tom Guarna guita
Kenny Grohowski drum
Biograph
George Colligan and Mad Science thrills listeners with intense, lyrical and cinematic compositions. The group’s new sound for an organ trio combines the the raw funk of Tower of...
George Colligan organ, keyboard
Tom Guarna guita
Kenny Grohowski drum
Biograph
George Colligan and Mad Science thrills listeners with intense, lyrical and cinematic compositions. The group’s new sound for an organ trio combines the the raw funk of Tower of Power and the fusion of Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra. The resulting music is full of surprising meter combinations, and satisfyingly tight full-group hits. Named the “ultimate thinking man’s jam band (Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times), Mad Science is comprised of George Colligan, Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes and synthesizer, Tom Guarna, guitar, and Kenny Grohowski, drums. Mike Joyce, of the Washington Postwrites: “[Colligan’s] latest collaboration, the organ-powered Mad Science ensemble, reveals his multiple talents in a series of intriguing, groove-triggered settings.”
George Colligan, an award-winning composer (Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation grant recipient) and player (winner, Jazzconnect.com Jazz Competition), draws fans with his zesty sideman work with players like Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Buster Williams, and Lonnie Plaxico, both on the bandstand and in recording sessions (with over 70 sideman credits). He is also prolific as a leader with 15 recordings full of his intelligent writing and impressive technique. Tom Guarna (Blood Sweat & Tears, Yellow Jackets, Randy Brecker, Tim Hagans) contributes compositions and mellifluous guitar work.Kenny Grohowski is a great new addition to the band, he brings an incredible virtuosity and youthful energy
Websit
http:www.myspace.com/georgecolliga
http://www.georgecolligan.co
Discograph
George Colligan's Mad Science--Realization(Sirocco)200
George Colligan and Mad Science--( Sunny Sky)2003
Tom Guarna guita
Kenny Grohowski drum
Biograph
George Colligan and Mad Science thrills listeners with intense, lyrical and cinematic compositions. The group’s new sound for an organ trio combines the the raw funk of Tower of Power and the fusion of Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra. The resulting music is full of surprising meter combinations, and satisfyingly tight full-group hits. Named the “ultimate thinking man’s jam band (Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times), Mad Science is comprised of George Colligan, Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes and synthesizer, Tom Guarna, guitar, and Kenny Grohowski, drums. Mike Joyce, of the Washington Postwrites: “[Colligan’s] latest collaboration, the organ-powered Mad Science ensemble, reveals his multiple talents in a series of intriguing, groove-triggered settings.”
George Colligan, an award-winning composer (Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation grant recipient) and player (winner, Jazzconnect.com Jazz Competition), draws fans with his zesty sideman work with players like Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Buster Williams, and Lonnie Plaxico, both on the bandstand and in recording sessions (with over 70 sideman credits). He is also prolific as a leader with 15 recordings full of his intelligent writing and impressive technique. Tom Guarna (Blood Sweat & Tears, Yellow Jackets, Randy Brecker, Tim Hagans) contributes compositions and mellifluous guitar work.Kenny Grohowski is a great new addition to the band, he brings an incredible virtuosity and youthful energy
Websit
http:www.myspace.com/georgecolliga
http://www.georgecolligan.co
Discograph
George Colligan's Mad Science--Realization(Sirocco)200
George Colligan and Mad Science--( Sunny Sky)2003
February 2009 Jazz
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All About Jazz by All About Jazz
By Terrell Kent Holmes Noted keyboardist, group leader and ubiquitous sideman George Colligan has applied his chops to the Hammond B-3 with his latest release, Mad Science, which is also the name...
By Terrell Kent Holmes Noted keyboardist, group leader and ubiquitous sideman George Colligan has applied his chops to the Hammond B-3 with his latest release, Mad Science, which is also the name...
from All About Jazz by AAJ
George Colligan's Mad Science | Sirocco Music Limited By John Kelmanprint email Since emerging on the scene a scant ten years ago, pianist George Colligan has built the kind of body of work that...
George Colligan's Mad Science | Sirocco Music Limited By John Kelmanprint email Since emerging on the scene a scant ten years ago, pianist George Colligan has built the kind of body of work that...
All About Jazz by All About Jazz
By Terrell Kent Holmes Noted keyboardist, group leader and ubiquitous sideman George Colligan has applied his chops to the Hammond B-3 with his latest release, Mad Science, which is also the name of the trio he's assembled: guitarist Tom Guarna, drummer Rodney Holmes and guest star Gary Thomas on tenor sax and flute. ”Barbarians” is a funk-driven opener. Colligan and Thomas state the theme, then Colligan takes the first solo, dotting the landscape with single note statements that quickly merge into eloquent riffs while his left hand weighs anchor on the bass line. A moody exchange of ideas follows between Guarna and Thomas, guitar and sax apparently commenting on Colligan's statement. “Earth Signs,” another funk/fusion blend, opens with Guarna skillfully negotiating a theme built upon tricky chord changes. After a nifty Colligan solo Guarna returns brimming with well-executed ideas. “Out From the Underground” has a rushhour tempo. Composer Guarna takes an inventive and complex solo, followed by a blistering attack by Colligan. The broken record effect at the bridge gives Holmes room to thrash. ”Seduction” has a strutting, lightfooted groove in the best tradition of Steely Dan. “Thought Police” begins with a fervent statement by Holmes; Thomas plays the somewhat foreboding theme then constructs an intricate, passionate solo over the group's building comp. “Alaska Basin,” another Guarna tune, has a samba beat with a fusion base. After solos by Colligan and Guarna, Thomas picks up the flute, laying down as serious a groove on this instrument as he can on the sax. Colligan opens “Modieidi's Modalities” with a rapid-fire and ominous organ bass tone, Holmes rumbling above him, before taking off on an exuberant sprint along the keys. Guarna gets in the race and Thomas follows with an initially spare but eventually more expansive statement. Mad Science is a smashing debut which showcases Colligan's talent as a composer and organist, and jazz lovers can look forward to this group woodshedding on center stage for a long time. This review originally appeared in AllAboutJazz-New York . Visit George Colligan on the web. George Colligan at All About Jazz.
By Terrell Kent Holmes Noted keyboardist, group leader and ubiquitous sideman George Colligan has applied his chops to the Hammond B-3 with his latest release, Mad Science, which is also the name of the trio he's assembled: guitarist Tom Guarna, drummer Rodney Holmes and guest star Gary Thomas on tenor sax and flute. ”Barbarians” is a funk-driven opener. Colligan and Thomas state the theme, then Colligan takes the first solo, dotting the landscape with single note statements that quickly merge into eloquent riffs while his left hand weighs anchor on the bass line. A moody exchange of ideas follows between Guarna and Thomas, guitar and sax apparently commenting on Colligan's statement. “Earth Signs,” another funk/fusion blend, opens with Guarna skillfully negotiating a theme built upon tricky chord changes. After a nifty Colligan solo Guarna returns brimming with well-executed ideas. “Out From the Underground” has a rushhour tempo. Composer Guarna takes an inventive and complex solo, followed by a blistering attack by Colligan. The broken record effect at the bridge gives Holmes room to thrash. ”Seduction” has a strutting, lightfooted groove in the best tradition of Steely Dan. “Thought Police” begins with a fervent statement by Holmes; Thomas plays the somewhat foreboding theme then constructs an intricate, passionate solo over the group's building comp. “Alaska Basin,” another Guarna tune, has a samba beat with a fusion base. After solos by Colligan and Guarna, Thomas picks up the flute, laying down as serious a groove on this instrument as he can on the sax. Colligan opens “Modieidi's Modalities” with a rapid-fire and ominous organ bass tone, Holmes rumbling above him, before taking off on an exuberant sprint along the keys. Guarna gets in the race and Thomas follows with an initially spare but eventually more expansive statement. Mad Science is a smashing debut which showcases Colligan's talent as a composer and organist, and jazz lovers can look forward to this group woodshedding on center stage for a long time. This review originally appeared in AllAboutJazz-New York . Visit George Colligan on the web. George Colligan at All About Jazz.
from All About Jazz by AAJ
George Colligan's Mad Science | Sirocco Music Limited By John Kelman print email Since emerging on the scene a scant ten years ago, pianist George Colligan has built the kind of body of work that some artists don’t manage in twice or thrice the time. Appearing on over seventy recordings, including over a dozen as a leader, Colligan has proven that one doesn’t have to be stylistically myopic to remain focused. Instead, he seems to have an all-encompassing musical appetite. And yet, unlike some who attempt a variety of musical styles and ultimately end up sounding like dabblers rather than serious contenders, Colligan seems to “get” everything he tackles. That Past-Present-Future (Criss Cross, 2005) and Realization can come from the same artist indicates the extended range of Colligan’s musical reach. The former is a piano trio disc, with heavy emphasis on standards, while the latter is a hard-hitting funk and fusion affair with Colligan on Hammond B3 organ and synthesizers, featuring his Mad Science trio and a set of original compositions mainly by Colligan, but with one short piece each by guitarist Tom Guarna and drummer Rodney Holmes. There are trace elements of ‘70s fusion groups like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, but the group that Colligan seems most inspired by is the early Tony Williams Lifetime trio with Larry Young and John McLaughlin, although Mad Science is less raw, with fewer nerves exposed. Still, the energy level is high on tunes including the funky “Grounded” and the uptempo 7/4 faux-Latin of “Oblivion.” Few pianists make a successful transition to organ, but Colligan clearly understands the different aesthetic. Colligan’s use of synthesizer is spare, managing to sound somehow retro while staying away from the seemingly inevitable cheese factor. And while Mad Science is all about the f-word, everyone manages to stay away from the meaningless pyrotechnics that so often give fusion a bad name. That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of high velocity playing. Guarna often favours a thick fuzz tone that hasn’t been heard much since the early ‘70s, soaring on tracks like the brisk “Utopian Struggle.” But even at his most energetic, Guarna’s solos don’t feel like speed for the sake of it; there’s a sense of purpose that is antithetical to the kind of musical excess so often heard in fusion. Likewise, Colligan places substance ahead of style, with well-constructed solos that are open-ended yet logically self-contained. Holmes is equally capable. When he breaks into a fast triplet feel over the sneaky hip-hop beat of “Snidely Whiplash,” one is reminded of Dennis Chambers’ Blue Matter-era work with John Scofield, but with more restraint. Realization is the kind of record that counters all the usual arguments against fusion. Powerful without being heavy-handed, George Colligan’s Mad Science proves that lithe and lively playing doesn’t have to come at the expense of taste and discretion. Visit George Colligan on the web.
George Colligan's Mad Science | Sirocco Music Limited By John Kelman print email Since emerging on the scene a scant ten years ago, pianist George Colligan has built the kind of body of work that some artists don’t manage in twice or thrice the time. Appearing on over seventy recordings, including over a dozen as a leader, Colligan has proven that one doesn’t have to be stylistically myopic to remain focused. Instead, he seems to have an all-encompassing musical appetite. And yet, unlike some who attempt a variety of musical styles and ultimately end up sounding like dabblers rather than serious contenders, Colligan seems to “get” everything he tackles. That Past-Present-Future (Criss Cross, 2005) and Realization can come from the same artist indicates the extended range of Colligan’s musical reach. The former is a piano trio disc, with heavy emphasis on standards, while the latter is a hard-hitting funk and fusion affair with Colligan on Hammond B3 organ and synthesizers, featuring his Mad Science trio and a set of original compositions mainly by Colligan, but with one short piece each by guitarist Tom Guarna and drummer Rodney Holmes. There are trace elements of ‘70s fusion groups like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, but the group that Colligan seems most inspired by is the early Tony Williams Lifetime trio with Larry Young and John McLaughlin, although Mad Science is less raw, with fewer nerves exposed. Still, the energy level is high on tunes including the funky “Grounded” and the uptempo 7/4 faux-Latin of “Oblivion.” Few pianists make a successful transition to organ, but Colligan clearly understands the different aesthetic. Colligan’s use of synthesizer is spare, managing to sound somehow retro while staying away from the seemingly inevitable cheese factor. And while Mad Science is all about the f-word, everyone manages to stay away from the meaningless pyrotechnics that so often give fusion a bad name. That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of high velocity playing. Guarna often favours a thick fuzz tone that hasn’t been heard much since the early ‘70s, soaring on tracks like the brisk “Utopian Struggle.” But even at his most energetic, Guarna’s solos don’t feel like speed for the sake of it; there’s a sense of purpose that is antithetical to the kind of musical excess so often heard in fusion. Likewise, Colligan places substance ahead of style, with well-constructed solos that are open-ended yet logically self-contained. Holmes is equally capable. When he breaks into a fast triplet feel over the sneaky hip-hop beat of “Snidely Whiplash,” one is reminded of Dennis Chambers’ Blue Matter-era work with John Scofield, but with more restraint. Realization is the kind of record that counters all the usual arguments against fusion. Powerful without being heavy-handed, George Colligan’s Mad Science proves that lithe and lively playing doesn’t have to come at the expense of taste and discretion. Visit George Colligan on the web.
Downbeat 2005 by Downbeat
George Colligan’s Mad Science Realization Sirocco Music 1030a **** (Four Stars) Thick,pulsating and high velocity,Realization is a slammin’ good time. Pianist George Colligan-a prodigious sideman and bandleader who first emerged on the New York scene about a decade ago-works his B-3 organ and synthesizer chops to the extreme as his Mad Science trio tears through a batch of originals from the funk -and-fusion bag. Colligan, guitarist Tom Guarna,and drummer Rodney Holmes show their teeth and a tasteful sense of restraint on this hard-hitting outing. This bad-boy monster mash never resorts to the mindless oblivion that cursed fuzz-laden ‘70’s groups like Return to Forever but always demonstrates a distinct edge that keeps them on a level far above smooth-jazz wallpaper. Well grounded in song form,superbly accurate,logical in improvisation and mind-blowing in its leaps of groove, Realization nails it on all points musical. -Ed Enright
George Colligan’s Mad Science Realization Sirocco Music 1030a **** (Four Stars) Thick,pulsating and high velocity,Realization is a slammin’ good time. Pianist George Colligan-a prodigious sideman and bandleader who first emerged on the New York scene about a decade ago-works his B-3 organ and synthesizer chops to the extreme as his Mad Science trio tears through a batch of originals from the funk -and-fusion bag. Colligan, guitarist Tom Guarna,and drummer Rodney Holmes show their teeth and a tasteful sense of restraint on this hard-hitting outing. This bad-boy monster mash never resorts to the mindless oblivion that cursed fuzz-laden ‘70’s groups like Return to Forever but always demonstrates a distinct edge that keeps them on a level far above smooth-jazz wallpaper. Well grounded in song form,superbly accurate,logical in improvisation and mind-blowing in its leaps of groove, Realization nails it on all points musical. -Ed Enright
Mojo 2005 by Mojo 2005
George Colligan’s Mad Science **** (Four Stars) Realization( sirocco) Dark, blistering groove fusion from keyboardist Colligan, better known for polite acoustic outings with Don Byron and Cassandra Wilson. Here he cranks up the Hammond B3 to fire out some manic themes( Snidely Whiplash and Goblet of Rock among the choicer titles)while Tom Guarna(guitar) and Rodney Holmes(drums)get up to some very dangerous things.Tremendous, if unnerving. -Chris Ingham
George Colligan’s Mad Science **** (Four Stars) Realization( sirocco) Dark, blistering groove fusion from keyboardist Colligan, better known for polite acoustic outings with Don Byron and Cassandra Wilson. Here he cranks up the Hammond B3 to fire out some manic themes( Snidely Whiplash and Goblet of Rock among the choicer titles)while Tom Guarna(guitar) and Rodney Holmes(drums)get up to some very dangerous things.Tremendous, if unnerving. -Chris Ingham
Washington Post Review of Mad Science at Blues All by Washington Post
George Colligan didn't sound entirely like himself at Blues Alley on Wednesday night. For one thing, he didn't play piano. No doubt that surprised some folks who became acquainted with him when he performed around town over a decade ago before moving to New York and becoming an accompanist for Cassandra Wilson. For another, Colligan didn't spend time re-harmonizing standards, always one of his great strengths. Instead he unveiled a new quartet, Mad Science, and several new tunes that evoked, to one degree or another, the Hammond B-3 jazz organ tradition and its contemporary fusion jazz offshoots. Colligan, however, was traveling light. He deftly played a digital keyboard that simulated the Hammond's enveloping tone and its deep bass register. In fact, when guitarist Tom Guarna and saxophonist-flutist Gary Thomas soloed, fluidly and imaginatively, Colligan sometimes assumed the role of a bassist, laying down a thick carpet of tones in tandem with the kinetic drummer Rodney Holmes. Less than a year old, the group has already developed a funk-charged organ-groove sound that suggests the influence of everyone from Jimmy Smith and John Scofield to Medeski Martin and Wood -- and beyond. But more important, the original tunes composed by Colligan and Guarna, including the modern noir vignette "Thought Police" and the brush-stroked ballad "Behind the Smile," were often distinctive or lyrical enough to render comparisons moot. -- Mike Joyce © 2002 The Washington Post Company
George Colligan didn't sound entirely like himself at Blues Alley on Wednesday night. For one thing, he didn't play piano. No doubt that surprised some folks who became acquainted with him when he performed around town over a decade ago before moving to New York and becoming an accompanist for Cassandra Wilson. For another, Colligan didn't spend time re-harmonizing standards, always one of his great strengths. Instead he unveiled a new quartet, Mad Science, and several new tunes that evoked, to one degree or another, the Hammond B-3 jazz organ tradition and its contemporary fusion jazz offshoots. Colligan, however, was traveling light. He deftly played a digital keyboard that simulated the Hammond's enveloping tone and its deep bass register. In fact, when guitarist Tom Guarna and saxophonist-flutist Gary Thomas soloed, fluidly and imaginatively, Colligan sometimes assumed the role of a bassist, laying down a thick carpet of tones in tandem with the kinetic drummer Rodney Holmes. Less than a year old, the group has already developed a funk-charged organ-groove sound that suggests the influence of everyone from Jimmy Smith and John Scofield to Medeski Martin and Wood -- and beyond. But more important, the original tunes composed by Colligan and Guarna, including the modern noir vignette "Thought Police" and the brush-stroked ballad "Behind the Smile," were often distinctive or lyrical enough to render comparisons moot. -- Mike Joyce © 2002 The Washington Post Company
Mike Joyce review of Realization by Washington Post
Mad Science is the product of George Colligan's split keyboard personality -- or at least the half that has trouble sitting still. Don't look to "Realization" for reminders of the Maryland-bred pianist who used to play swing and bop regularly at the now-shuttered One Step Down and subsequently traveled around the world as Cassandra Wilson's accompanist, enhancing her Deep South balladry with a subtle touch. Instead, here we find Colligan at the Hammond B-3 organ, or playing synthesizers, reveling in funk and fusion grooves alongside guitarist Tom Guarna and drummer Rodney Holmes. What keeps the music from devolving into a purely retro exercise is Colligan's writing. He composed nine of the 11 tunes on "Realization," and although his scribbling, blues-drenched runs on "Utopian Struggle" and other pieces often evoke legendary B-3 organists, including Jack McDuff and Larry Young, there's a freshness and whimsicality that's apparent as well. For proof, check out the colorfully animated "Snidely Whiplash," with its cartoonish chatter and curiously deep hues, or the odd-meter excursion "Oblivion," with its skittish interplay and rhythmic twists. That's when you can hear Colligan's mind at work, exploring ways to bring something new to a classic Hammond-anchored combo. True, a couple of sketchy interludes are dispensable, but with the help of Guarna and Holmes, Mad Science marches on with vigor and wit.
Mad Science is the product of George Colligan's split keyboard personality -- or at least the half that has trouble sitting still. Don't look to "Realization" for reminders of the Maryland-bred pianist who used to play swing and bop regularly at the now-shuttered One Step Down and subsequently traveled around the world as Cassandra Wilson's accompanist, enhancing her Deep South balladry with a subtle touch. Instead, here we find Colligan at the Hammond B-3 organ, or playing synthesizers, reveling in funk and fusion grooves alongside guitarist Tom Guarna and drummer Rodney Holmes. What keeps the music from devolving into a purely retro exercise is Colligan's writing. He composed nine of the 11 tunes on "Realization," and although his scribbling, blues-drenched runs on "Utopian Struggle" and other pieces often evoke legendary B-3 organists, including Jack McDuff and Larry Young, there's a freshness and whimsicality that's apparent as well. For proof, check out the colorfully animated "Snidely Whiplash," with its cartoonish chatter and curiously deep hues, or the odd-meter excursion "Oblivion," with its skittish interplay and rhythmic twists. That's when you can hear Colligan's mind at work, exploring ways to bring something new to a classic Hammond-anchored combo. True, a couple of sketchy interludes are dispensable, but with the help of Guarna and Holmes, Mad Science marches on with vigor and wit.
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