Album Notes

"Blue Soul" is a new collection of original Todd Collins' compositions in a traditional bluegrass context. Featuring the finest bluegrass players in the New York/ New Jersey area, the outcome is a soulful blend of traditional American Roots Music with contemporary touches.

Notable collaborations with acoustic groups:
* *Co-led eclectic group with John Carlini, "Over the Edge"
* *Progressive bluegrass with "Tom Hanway and Blue Horizon"
* *Acoustic blues and jugband music with the "Booglerizers"
* *Hard driving traditional bluegrass with "Straight Drive"
* *Swing with the "Blueswing Trio"
* *Contemporary jazz with his own combos

Todd Collins performs mainly in the northeastern United States, with forays as far as Maine, New Mexico, Scotland and England. He performs in a variety of settings that include solo jazz guitarist / mandolinist , duets, trios, and quartets. Todd has played blues, rock, folk, Classical, and bluegrass and performed with some of the most gifted acoustic musicians on the planet, including legendary fiddlers Vassar Clements and Kenny Kosek, banjo guru Bill Keith, Peter Rowan, and Butch Baldassari's Nashville Mandolin Trio. Todd collaborated with former Grisman arranger/guitarist John Carlini to form an eclectic acoustic band, Over the Edge, which fused bluegrass, Classical, jazz and World music. Their CD received wide recognition and airplay across America.

Collins' recording credits include film and television. He played mandolin for the Disney film soundtrack "Tom and Huck" and for a Polaroid commercial. Collins is also a producer who is in demand, with recordings by Over the Edge, The Lost Rambler's, noted banjoist Terry McGill, and singer/songwriter Tom Nieman.

Todd is the coordinator of the recording program and an assistant professor at County College of Morris, Randolph, NJ. At CCM he has assembled and conducted numerous workshops, seminars, and concerts including the annual "A Day of Bluegrass". He also gives workshops for guitar and mandolin, in the States and abroad, and was the mandolin instructor for the "Bluegrass Masters Workshops" at Big Apple Bluegrass , a popular bluegrass and roots music festival in New York City. His book of Bill Monroe transcriptions titled "Monroe Instrumentals", is published by Mel Bay Publishing. His second book, "Classic Solos of Bill Monroe", will also be released by Mel Bay Publishing.

Collins has been commissioned to compose works for modern dance companies in the New York/New Jersey area, including Beyond Dance, Inc., the Montclair State University Dance Department, and the County College of Morris Dance Department.

Todd Collins earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Music degree from Montclair State University.

Please visit Todd at his website:
www.toddcollinsmusic.com