In a first-time appearance in the San Juans, the Andrew Collins Trio will be playing at the Community Theatre Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Concertgoers will be treated to a showcase of popular collision between folk, new acoustic roots, chamber grass, Celtic and jazz, not to mention a dizzying number and energetic interplay of instruments on stage.
“There will be a variety of sounds, different instruments, harmony singing, stories and jokes,” Andrew Collins told the Journal. “There will be no crying.”
Collins became interested in music at an early age, but it was a friend in high school that drew him into the music scene and bluegrass. At age 23 he bought his first mandolin. The rest, Collins laughed, is history.
At one point he played in two different bands, the instrumental-focused Creaking Tree String Quartet, the bluegrass-inspired Foggy Hogtown Boys. Both simultaneously came to an end. Not wanting to start from scratch, or be a band leader, Collins needs to figure out where to go next. Inspired by multiple genres, including bluegrass, classical and jazz, the Andrew Collins Trio formed.
Besides Collins as lead vocalist as well as playing an ensemble of string instruments like guitar, fiddle, mandocello and mandolin, the trio includes fellow string master Mike Mezzatesta, who also plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle mandola, though for this event Adam Schier will be stepping in for him, with James McEleny on bass, mandocello and harmonizing vocals.
What attracted him to bluegrass was the instrumental component, Collins said, “Played with such virtuosity at high tempos, not using special effects, just pulling these sounds off their instruments.”
Both the harmony singing and lyrics, which say a lot in very simple language, blew him away. That being said, Collins clarified that he would not be happy playing all instrumentals or all bluegrass, it is the different genres being played acoustically that is exciting for him.
“The thing that is so great about any kind of mastery is showing people what’s possible, showing people what can be done,” Collins said. “It pushes their belief to strive for things they didn’t think were possible.”
Practice is key, he added. “A lot of people don’t try; they think people are born with talent. Practicing makes a huge difference. It may seem slow but when you start seeing incremental changes, it feels really good.”
Musicians at bluegrass festivals, for example, are playing constantly, having jam sessions. Collins also teaches at bluegrass camps across the country, and in Canada, where people immerse themselves in music learning and practicing during the day and partaking in jam sessions in the evening.
“When people play with some degree of mastery, it evokes different emotions from different people,” he said.
All ages attend these camps, from those who are young and just starting out, to those who came to music later in life. No matter what their situation, the camp is the one time where the focus is on their chosen instrument. “The outside world goes away, politics goes away,” says Collins, “and they can pontificate about music. Often a lightbulb will come on where they finally get that technique they have been trying.”
“It’s really inspiring to be a part of,” Collins said. “The Nov. 2 concert will be a blast, of that I can assure you!”
Tickets are $28 for adults, $15 for students or $5 student rush at the door. To learn more or purchase tickets visit https://www.sjctheatre.org/whats-happening/calendar/eventdetail/136768/the-andrew-collins-trio.
