Vanessa Collier
12-11-2025
“There’s a young lady, Vanessa Collier, came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.” - Buddy Guy
Those are the words of Buddy Guy in a recent issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction that we would all do well to watch.
Collier's sixth album "Do It My Own Way" was released September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.”
These days, Collier spends much of her time on the road, performing at some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. In the words of the Blues Foundation, Vanessa “blew the doors off the Blues Music Awards!” At the Ottawa Blues Festival she earned two front page newspaper photos and rave reviews after her foot stomping debut there.On the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise she earned the Jammingest Pro Award and was a featured artist with Tommy Castro’s Blues Review. At the Briggs Farm Festival she was the “most popular Briggs Farm act in 2017” (Elmore Magazine), and the list goes on and on.
Vanessa Collier says she’s happy performing on stages across the world, hoping to make a difference with fans and followers along the way. “I am driven to do this because I find it a total form of expression and connection,” she explains. “I love connecting with an audience and feeling their energy and I hope to inspire people to follow their dreams and passions, to find what brings them joy, and then to pursue it doggedly.”
“A young singer with a fierce, compelling voice, she also played a mean saxophone and had the charisma to get the crowd in the palm of her hand for a full hour.” - Lynn Saxburg, Ottawa Sun
“This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds. Impressing everyone right out of the gate… Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan.” - Midwest Record
VIDEO
15-TIME BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINEE, 5-TIME WINNER - 2019, 2020, 2024, 2025 BMA WINNER “HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR”
2022 BMA WINNER “CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR” - 2022 & 2023 Blues Blast Award Winner “HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR”
2025 BMA 3x NOMINEE FOR: “Horn Player of the Year” - “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year” - “Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for Do It My Own Way”
“There’s a young lady, Vanessa Collier, came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.” - Buddy Guy
Those are the words of Buddy Guy in a recent issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction that we would all do well to watch.
Collier's sixth album "Do It My Own Way" was released September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.”
These days, Collier spends much of her time on the road, performing at some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. In the words of the Blues Foundation, Vanessa “blew the doors off the Blues Music Awards!” At the Ottawa Blues Festival she earned two front page newspaper photos and rave reviews after her foot stomping debut there.On the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise she earned the Jammingest Pro Award and was a featured artist with Tommy Castro’s Blues Review. At the Briggs Farm Festival she was the “most popular Briggs Farm act in 2017” (Elmore Magazine), and the list goes on and on.
Vanessa Collier says she’s happy performing on stages across the world, hoping to make a difference with fans and followers along the way. “I am driven to do this because I find it a total form of expression and connection,” she explains. “I love connecting with an audience and feeling their energy and I hope to inspire people to follow their dreams and passions, to find what brings them joy, and then to pursue it doggedly.”
“A young singer with a fierce, compelling voice, she also played a mean saxophone and had the charisma to get the crowd in the palm of her hand for a full hour.” - Lynn Saxburg, Ottawa Sun
“This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds. Impressing everyone right out of the gate… Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan.” - Midwest Record
VIDEO