Versatile guitarist comes home

7/28/2005

It's a happy coincidence, not a plan to show off Jeff Kollman's versatility on guitar. But the Toledo native who moved to Los Angeles in 1995 comes home tonight for a most unusual double-header: a contemporary jazz concert followed by a power-trio rock show.

The concert at Mutt Lynch's Old Dog Saloon will kick off with a concert by Lao Tizer, the contemporary jazz pianist with whom Kollman regularly performs on tour and in the studio. After a break, Kollman will come back with his new group, JKB.

"It's two completely different styles," said Kollman, "but we thought we could pull it off in Toledo."

It just so happened that Tizer, winner of the Best New Artist honors at the 2002 Smooth Jazz Awards, was touring the Midwest while Kollman was in the area for a cross-country tour with British rockers UFO, for whom Kollman is playing bass.

He and UFO's lead singer Phil Mogg and former bassist Pete Way first worked together in 1999 on the Mogg/Way album "Chocolate Box." A new addition to UFO is Jason Bonham on drums, son of Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham.

"Jason sounds a lot like his father with those fat grooves," Kollman said. Since Kollman left Toledo and the metal band Edwin Dare to relocate in L.A. a decade ago, he's developed a reputation as one of the most versatile guitarists on the West Coast. In addition to working with Mogg/Way and UFO, among the other notable artists he's played with are Joe Satriani, on the G3 tour, and Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes in the band Shape 68.

Kollman also leads a jazz-fusion group called Cosmosquad and wrote and performed music used in a number of movie trailers including Fantastic Four and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

His new trio, JKB, with Kevin Chown on bass and Charlie Waymire on drums, is the first in which Kollman sings lead vocals in addition to playing guitar.

He said he's found that lead singers are usually not very dependable, so he decided to do it himself. Singing and playing lead guitar simultaneously "is a little bit tricky," he said. "I have to keep the playing simple while I'm singing."

But at least he knows the singer won't ever desert him.

Jeff Kollman and the Lao Tizer Band will be in concert tonight at Mutt Lynch's Old Dog Saloon, 141 Main St. Doors open at 8 p.m.; the concert starts at 9. Admission is $10. Information: 419-693-0395.

Contact David Yonke at: dyonke@theblade.com

or 419-724-6154.