While barely known outside of LA, multi-instrumentalist was a local legend. He was the first black to be a member of the previously white-only musicians union, he was a member of the orchestra for the famous Groucho Marx TV show, and was friends with and members of bands led by Charles Mingus and Chico Hamilton. This 4 disc set includes his very important albums from the 1955-60 era, and it’s all wondrous.
His 1955 debut is just before joining Chico Hamilton’s famous band, but includes the famous drummer along with Gerald Wiggins/p, Jimmy Hall/g and Curtis COUnce/b for some lithely originals by Collette like “Blue Green” and “It’s You” with Collette on flute, clarinet and tenor sax. The next year he plays tenor, alto, clarinet and flute for a classic “California Cool” session with Gerald Wilson/tp, Barney Kessel/g and Wiggins for a fun “ Makin’ Whoopee” and breezy “Sunset Drive” .
1957 saw Collette in busy form, with some lovely flute that is calm and cool on “Fall Winds” and “Flute in ‘D’”. The same year he’s with Brubeck member Eugene Wright/b, Bill Richmond/dr, Howard Roberts/g and Dick Shreve-Wiggins/p for some upbeat pieces like “Tasty Dish” and a dark “You Better Go Now”. Collette has a nice day revisiting tunes he wrote for Hamilton on the next album playing a wide range of woodwinds, ranging from the hip “Moten Swing” to the lovely “Over the Rainbow”. Collet teams up with Red Callender on Tuba along with Frank Rosolino/tb, Howard Roberts/g, Red Mitchell/b and Bill Douglass/dr on an album with themes of Paris in the song, such as “I Love Paris” and “Under Paris Skies”. The next is a real rare one, as Collette teams up with flutists Bud Shank, Harry Klee and Paul Horn and a rhythm team of Joe Comfort/b , Bill Richmond/dr and Bill Miller/p for ethereal tunes like “Flute Diet”, “Tasty Dish” and “Pony Tale”. Collette reunites with the four flute friends along with Bill Miller-John Williams/p, Jim Hall/g, Red Mitchell/b and Earl Palmer-Shelly Manne/dr for some rich and textured reads of popular soundtracks. All throughout, Collette is classy, tasteful and swinging. If you’re not familiar with him, here’s an excellent introduction to a musically and historically important jazz figure.