American drummer
Musical artist
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery who has worked as a
session musician in many genres.
[1] He was inducted into the
Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1996
[2] and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014.
[3] Colaiuta has won one Grammy Award and has been nominated twice.
[4] Since the late 1970s, he has recorded and toured with
Frank Zappa ,
Joni Mitchell , and
Sting , among many other appearances in the studio and in concert.
Career
Colaiuta was given his first drum kit when he was seven. He took to it naturally, with little instruction. When he was fourteen, the school band teacher gave him a book that taught him some of the basics.
Buddy Rich was his favorite drummer until he heard the album Ego by
Tony Williams , an event that changed his life. Colaiuta was also listening to organ groups, notably Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff and Don Patterson.
[5]
While a student at
Berklee College of Music , when
jazz fusion was on the rise, he listened to and admired
Alphonse Mouzon and
Billy Cobham .
[6]
After leaving school, he played local gigs in Boston. He joined a brief tour organized by
Al Kooper , then worked in California on an album by Christopher Morris, which Kooper was producing. Although he returned to Boston, Colaiuta was drawn back to California by friends. He took the bus from Boston to Los Angeles during the
Great Blizzard of 1978 .
After performing in jazz clubs, he won the audition to play drums for
Frank Zappa . He toured with Zappa and appeared on the albums
Joe's Garage ,
Tinsel Town Rebellion , and
Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar .
[7] Modern Drummer magazine chose Joe's Garage as one of the top 25 drum performances of all time.
[8]
Colaiuta with
Kenny Garrett in the
Five Peace Band , 2008
In 1981, he ceased touring with Zappa to become a
studio musician , recording for the band
Pages and pop singer
Gino Vannelli . Opportunities arose with saxophonist
Tom Scott and bassist
Larry Klein , who invited Colaiuta to play on a record by Klein's then-girlfriend,
Joni Mitchell . When Klein and Mitchell got married, Colaiuta was the
best man at their wedding. During the 1980s, he toured with Mitchell.
In 1986, he became the house drummer of
The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers .
[9] The band, called the Party Boys and the Tramp, was led by
Mark Hudson .
By the end of the 1980s he was recording albums, TV and film work during the day, and playing clubs at night.
[7] In addition to pop acts, he has worked with jazz musicians
Herbie Hancock ,
Chick Corea ,
Buell Neidlinger , and the
Buddy Rich Big Band .
[8]
In 1990, Colaiuta got a phone call from
Sting , flew to England, and won the audition to become a member of his band.
[7] He remained with Sting for much of the 1990s, touring and recording the albums
Ten Summoner's Tales (1993),
Mercury Falling (1996),
Brand New Day (1999) and
Sacred Love (2003).
[8]
In 1994, Colaiuta released his debut
solo album .
[10]
On November 12, 2016, he played with Sting in the first concert to be held at the
Bataclan in Paris since the
terrorist attack a year earlier.
[11]
He has won over fifteen Drummer of the Year awards from
Modern Drummer magazine's annual reader polls. These include ten awards in the "Best Overall" category.
[12]
[8]
Partial discography
As leader
1994 Vinnie Colaiuta (
Stretch )
2018 Descent into Madness (A-Tone Recordings)
2021 Mother's Milk (A-Tone Recordings)
With Jing Chi
(with
Robben Ford and
Jimmy Haslip )
2002 Jing Chi
2003 Jing Chi Live at Yoshi's
[13]
2004 3D
2017 Supremo
2019 Hard Candy (A-Tone Recordings)
As sideman
1982
Desire
1987 Streamlines
1988 Flashpoint
1999 Smokin' Section
Colaiuta on drums with
Frank Zappa at the Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY. October 25, 1980
With others
1981
Nightwalker ,
Gino Vannelli
1982 Tvær Systur ,
Jakob Magnusson
1982 Championship Wrestling ,
Al Kooper
1982
Quiet Lies ,
Juice Newton
1982
Times of Our Lives ,
Judy Collins
1982
Everyman A King (Avalon EP) ,
Avalon
1983
Dirty Looks ,
Juice Newton
1983
Not the Boy Next Door ,
Peter Allen
1983
Imagination ,
Helen Reddy
1983
Youngblood ,
Carl Wilson
1983 Walk a Fine Line ,
Paul Anka
1984
Emotion ,
Barbra Streisand
1984
Qualifying Heat ,
Thelma Houston
1985
Soul Kiss ,
Olivia Newton-John
1986
Smoke Signals ,
Smokey Robinson
1986
The Bridge ,
Billy Joel
1986 Te Amaré ,
José Feliciano
1987
John Patitucci ,
John Patitucci
1987 Northern Nights ,
Dan Siegel
1987
Famous Blue Raincoat ,
Jennifer Warnes
1987
Swing Street ,
Barry Manilow
1987
Portrait ,
Lee Ritenour
1988 Close-Up ,
David Sanborn
1988
Last Days of the Century ,
Al Stewart
1988
Talk to Your Daughter ,
Robben Ford
1988
The Real Me ,
Patti Austin
1988
I'm Your Man ,
Leonard Cohen
1988
Get Here ,
Brenda Russell
1988
Positive ,
Peabo Bryson
1988 Voices of the Heart ,
Eric Marienthal
1988
Y Kant Tori Read ,
Tori Amos
1988
Bossa Nova Hotel ,
Michael Sembello
1989
Mr. Jordan ,
Julian Lennon
1989 Music, My Love ,
Jean-Pierre Rampal
1989 Big Harvest ,
Indio
1989
Secrets ,
Allan Holdsworth
1989
Barry Manilow ,
Barry Manilow
1989
The Warmer Side of Cool ,
Wang Chung
1989
The Works ,
Nik Kershaw
1989 Upright ,
Philip Aaberg
1989 Other Places ,
Brandon Fields
1990 Tales from the Bulge ,
Michael Landau
1990
Blue Pacific ,
Michael Franks
1990
Beth Nielsen Chapman ,
Beth Nielsen Chapman
1990
Other Voices ,
Paul Young
1991
House of Hope ,
Toni Childs
1991
Free ,
Rick Astley
1991
Discipline ,
Desmond Child
1991
Swept ,
Julia Fordham
1991
Still ,
Tony Banks
1992
The Future ,
Leonard Cohen
1992
Life Is Messy ,
Rodney Crowell
1992
Fat City ,
Shawn Colvin
1992
The Hunter ,
Jennifer Warnes
1992 Me siento tan sola ,
Gloria Trevi
1993
My World ,
Ray Charles
1993 Rendezvous ,
Christopher Cross
1994
Emperors of Soul ,
The Temptations
1994
Heart to Heart ,
Diane Schuur ,
B.B. King
1994
The Whiff of Bedlam ,
James Reyne
1995
Good News from the Next World ,
Simple Minds
1995 Soul Survivor ,
Bobby Caldwell
1995
The Promise ,
John McLaughlin
1995
I'll Lead You Home ,
Michael W. Smith
1995 Time Was ,
Curtis Stigers
1995
Time for Change ,
Wendy Moten
1995
If My Heart Had Wings ,
Melissa Manchester
1995
No Resemblance Whatsoever ,
Dan Fogelberg
1995
Out of My Hands ,
Jennifer Rush
1996 It's Good, Eve ,
Vonda Shepard
1996
Eat the Phikis ,
Elio e le Storie Tese
1997
Blue Moon Swamp ,
John Fogerty
1997 Angelica ,
Angelica
1997 Blue Tav ,
Steve Tavaglione
1998 Traeme La Noche ,
Gustavo Cerati ,
Andy Summers
1998
Spirit ,
Jewel
1998
Leave a Mark ,
John Michael Montgomery
1999 August Everywhere ,
Blinker the Star
1999
Amarte Es Un Placer ,
Luis Miguel
1999 Deja Vu ,
Frank Vignola
1999 The Whole SHeBANG ,
SheDaisy
1999 We Offer Praises ,
Ron Kenoly
2000 Celebrating the Music of Weather Report ,
Jason Miles
2000
Lara Fabian ,
Lara Fabian
2000 Fingerprints ,
Larry Carlton
2000
My Kind of Christmas ,
Christina Aguilera
2000 Paris Rain ,
Brenda Russell
2000 Isn't She Great ,
Burt Bacharach
2000 Live From Blue Note Tokyo ,
Chick Corea
2000
Two Against Nature ,
Steely Dan
2001
Aura ,
Asia
2001
Night Sessions ,
Chris Botti
2001
Christmas Memories ,
Barbra Streisand
2001
Trouble in Shangri-La ,
Stevie Nicks
2001
The Spirit Room ,
Michelle Branch
2001
Shared Secrets ,
George Cables
2001
The Well ,
Jennifer Warnes
2001
The Way I Am ,
Jennifer Knapp
2001
MTV Unplugged ,
Alejandro Sanz
2002
Santo Pecado ,
Ricardo Arjona
2002
Cry ,
Faith Hill
2002
Man with a Memory ,
Joe Nichols
2002
The Season for Romance ,
Lee Ann Womack
2002 Morning, Noon, & Night ,
Bob James
2002
Queen of the Damned: Music from the Motion Picture
2002
Twisted Angel ,
LeAnn Rimes
2003
1, 2, to the Bass ,
Stanley Clarke
2003 Big Fun ,
Bill Evans
2003
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook ,
Bette Midler
2003
Clean Up ,
Ilse DeLange
2003
Now ,
Jessica Andrews
2003
Michael Bublé ,
Michael Bublé
2003 Before the Beginning , Aja Daashuur
2004 Earth + Sky ,
Andy Summers
2004
The Dana Owens Album ,
Queen Latifah
2004 Renee Olstead ,
Renee Olstead
2004
The Futurist ,
Robert Downey
2004
A Christmas Album ,
James Taylor
2004
That's Life ,
Julia Fordham
2004
Speak ,
Lindsay Lohan
2004
Heart & Soul ,
Joe Cocker
2004
Motown Two ,
Michael McDonald
2004
Second First Impression ,
Daniel Bedingfield
2004
The System Has Failed ,
Megadeth
2005
Fireflies ,
Faith Hill
2005
Stronger Than Before ,
Olivia Newton-John
2005
It's Time ,
Michael Bublé
2005 A Little Soul in Your Heart ,
Lulu
2005 Rock Swings ,
Paul Anka
2005
This Woman ,
LeAnn Rimes
2005 American Made World Played ,
Les Paul
2006
Cool Yule ,
Bette Midler
2006
Rendezvous in Rio ,
Michael Franks
2006
Whatever We Wanna ,
LeAnn Rimes
2006
Givin' It Up ,
George Benson ,
Al Jarreau
2006
Back in Town ,
Matt Dusk
2006
Awake ,
Josh Groban
2006
Navidades ,
Luis Miguel
2006
James Taylor at Christmas ,
James Taylor
2007 Resurgence ,
Mark Isaacs
2007
Do svitanja ,
Vlado Georgiev
2007
Call Me Irresponsible ,
Michael Bublé
2007
Home at Last ,
Billy Ray Cyrus
2008
Jeff Beck: Performing This Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's ,
Jeff Beck
2008
Meet Glen Campbell ,
Glen Campbell
2008
Soul Speak ,
Michael McDonald
2009
Five Peace Band Live Chick Corea, and John McLaughlin, with Christian McBride and Kenny Garrett
2009
My One and Only Thrill ,
Melody Gardot
2009
Crazy Love ,
Michael Bublé
2009
Patrizio ,
Patrizio Buanne
2009 Tide ,
Luciana Souza
2010
Emotion & Commotion ,
Jeff Beck
2010
Singularity ,
Robby Krieger
2010
Strip Me ,
Natasha Bedingfield
2010 Peculiar Life ,
Richard Page
2010 Truth Be Told ,
Mark Egan
2011
Ghost on the Canvas ,
Glen Campbell
2011 Daydream ,
Katherine Jenkins
2011
Christmas ,
Michael Bublé
2011 Umbigobunker!? ,
Jay Vaquer
2012 5th House ,
Dominic Miller
2012
Kisses on the Bottom ,
Paul McCartney
2013
Unstoppable Momentum ,
Joe Satriani
2013
A Mary Christmas ,
Mary J. Blige
2013
Le Secret ,
Lara Fabian
2013
Daljina ,
Vlado Georgiev
2014 Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro ,
Billy Childs
2014
Holiday Wishes ,
Idina Menzel
2015
No Pier Pressure ,
Brian Wilson
2015
Today Is Christmas ,
LeAnn Rimes
2015
Shockwave Supernova ,
Joe Satriani
2015
Beauty Behind the Madness ,
The Weeknd
2015
Currency of Man ,
Melody Gardot
2015
Stages ,
Josh Groban
2016 The American Dream ,
Damian Drăghici
2016
Encore un soir ,
Céline Dion
2016
Remnants ,
LeAnn Rimes
2016
Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway ,
Barbra Streisand
2017
Moura ,
Ana Moura
2017 Alone ,
Toto
2017 Cosmopolitain ,
Kamil Rustam
2018
Old Is New ,
Toto
2018 Written in the Stars ,
MILI
2018
Traces ,
Steve Perry
2018 Another Time, Another Place ,
Jennifer Warnes
2018
Liberation ,
Christina Aguilera
2018 ARC Trio ,
Scott Kinsey ,
Jimmy Haslip ,
Gergő Borlai
2019 Far More , Lari Basilio
2019 Saab Guitar Project , Douglas Saab
2019
War in My Mind ,
Beth Hart
2020
Sunset in the Blue ,
Melody Gardot
2020
Music... The Air That I Breathe ,
Cliff Richard
2021
Liberation Time ,
John McLaughlin
References
^ Staff (July 22, 2010).
"Vinnie Colaiuta: Unlike Anybody Else" .
Modern Drummer . Retrieved January 6, 2024 .
^
"Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 1979–2014" .
Modern Drummer . Retrieved August 10, 2015 .
^
"Vinnie Colaiuta Hall of Fame Induction" . Classic Drummer. Retrieved May 14, 2017 .
^
"Vinnie Colaiuta" . GRAMMY.com . November 19, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2021 .
^
"Percussive Arts Society Interview 1995" . vinniecolaiuta.com . February 1995. Retrieved June 27, 2017 .
^ Rule, Greg (2002).
"Chapter 4: Drums & Drumming" . In Doerschuk, Robert (ed.). Playing from the Heart . San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp.
264–65 .
ISBN
0-87930-704-8 .
^
a
b
c
"Vinnie Colaiuta" . vinniecolaiuta.com . Berklee Press. 2001. Retrieved November 15, 2016 .
^
a
b
c
d
"Drummerworld: Vinnie Colaiuta" . Drummerworld . Retrieved December 7, 2016 .
^ tomsaviano.com/saxophonejournal.htm
^ Yanow, Scott.
"Vinnie Colaiuta: Biography & History" . AllMusic . Retrieved December 7, 2016 .
^
"Sting reopens the Bataclan in emotional gig a year after Paris terror attacks" . sting.com. Retrieved June 27, 2017 .
^
Modern Drummer interview
Archived December 28, 2005, at the
Wayback Machine , vinniecolaiuta.com; accessed October 26, 2014.
^
"Artist Biography by Wade Kergan" . AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2017 .
External links
International National Artists Other