Ottawa-based Antoine L Collins recorded his independently-released debut LP, Somewhere Along The Way, in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2015. With soulful, R&B-inspired takes on traditional standards, including “I Put A Spell On You” and “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”, its 2016 title track video gained notice internationally through Queerty as “A Queer Twist On Love And Loss In This Gorgeous Jazz Video.“
Building on his initial creative success, Antoine recently recorded Nature Boy: The Music of Nat King Cole, produced and imaginatively arranged by Phillip Victor Bova, founder of Ottawa’s legendary Bovasound Studio. Its independent-release celebrated the legacy of Nat King Cole, a global cultural icon who left an indelible mark on jazz and popular song. In producing the album, Bova assembled a stellar roster of diverse talent to complement Antoine’s warm vocal tones.
Nature Boy delivers inspired reinventions of some of Cole’s top-charting hits. Antoine describes the project as “…more than a tribute album. It’s a celebration of an outstanding musician who left an everlasting mark on the world of jazz. Nat King Cole songs often awaken powerful emotions of passion, pleasure, and sometimes melancholy, the songs on this record address universal, as well as deeply personal, struggles, hopes, loves, regrets and fears.”
Antoine L Collins, lawyer turned jazz singer/songwriter/entertainer, was born on the outskirts of Chicago in Gary, Indiana. Although raised in the state’s foster care system, he managed to escape the merry-go-round of foster homes that many children endure. As a young attorney, he prosecuted child abuse and domestic violence cases for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, before returning to his artistic roots by pursuing music and theatre full-time. Antoine became a Canadian Citizen in 2014.
His recent sold-out vocal performances include: Tavern On The Falls (supporting Ottawa’s Capital Pride), the 2018 TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, Brookstreet Hotel, his Mercury Lounge Album Release Concert, a US Embassy Ottawa Black History Month Celebration, and the 2018 Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus Cabaret. In addition to Jazz performances, he has an impressive musical theatre resume which includes: Ragtime, A Chorus Line, RENT, Little Shop of Horrors and Hairspray.
Additionally, Antoine L Collins is helping to raise awareness for sexual minority refugees in 2018 by donating a portion of the proceeds from his live shows and records sales to Capital Rainbow Refuge an Ottawa-based charity providing safe haven in Canada for sexual minority refugees fleeing from dangerous situations around the world.
Currently, Antoine is busy promoting his new record and writing original jazz songs for his next project. Whether recording in the studio, performing musical theatre or live jazz concerts, Antoine’s exudes positive energy through his personality, style, warmth and romantic baritone vocals. He welcomes future opportunities to showcase his music in support of a more enlightened and inclusive community.
