Jacob Collier

For the British politician, see Jacob Collier (politician). For the American mixed martial artist, see Jake Collier.
Jacob Collier
Collier in 2022
Collier in 2022
Background information
Birth nameJacob Moriarty
Born (1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 30)
London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active2002–present
Labels
Websitejacobcollier.com

Jacob Collier (born 2 August 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator. His music incorporates a combination of jazz and elements from other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reharmonisations and close harmony. He is known for his energetic live performances, in which he often conducts the audience to sing harmony or play percussion parts.[1] Collier demonstrates his harmonic expertise in lectures and master classes, particularly with his detailed analyses of songs like Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" and his own music.[2]

In 2013, his split-screen video covers of popular songs, such as Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", began to go viral on YouTube. In 2014, Collier signed with Quincy Jones's management company and began working on his one-man, audio-visual live performance vehicle, designed and built at the MIT Media Lab by Ben Bloomberg.[3] In 2016, Collier released his debut album, In My Room, which he recorded, arranged, performed and produced himself in the back room of his family home in Finchley, North London.[4] In 2017, Collier was awarded Grammy Awards for his arrangements of "Flintstones" and "You and I".[5] In 2018, Collier began working on Djesse, a four-volume, 50-song album featuring more than two dozen artists and ensembles. The first volume, which featured the Metropole Orkest, Djesse Vol. 1, was released in December 2018. The second, Djesse Vol. 2, used more acoustic instrumentation and was released in July 2019.

In 2020, Collier won Grammy Awards for his arrangements of "All Night Long (All Night)" from Djesse Vol. 1 and "Moon River" from Djesse Vol. 2. In 2021, he won a Grammy Award for "He Won't Hold You" from Djesse Vol. 3. Collier is the first British artist to receive a Grammy Award for each of his first four albums.[6]

  1. ^ "Dodie Clark vs. Jacob Collier: Bedroom Introvert Musicians". Flood. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  2. ^ Keiles, Jamie Lauren (10 March 2021). "Sam Hunt's Pop-Country Brilliance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Jacob Collier – Art At MIT". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. ^ Lewis, John (7 July 2016). "Jazz prodigy Jacob Collier: 'Quincy Jones told me jazz is the classical music of pop'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Grammy Awards 2017: See the Full Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  6. ^ Peacock, Tim (15 March 2021). "Jacob Collier First British Artist To Win Grammy For First Four Albums". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 16 March 2021.