Cal Collins

Who was Cal Collins?

Cal Collins was an American jazz guitarist born in Medora, Indiana.

Collins first played the mandolin professionally as a bluegrass musician in the early 1950s. After doing a stint in the Army, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and while there he switched to jazz guitar. He played into the 1970s for various ensembles, and in 1976 joined up with Benny Goodman. Starting in the 1970s and continuing into the 1990s, Collins recorded copiously for Concord Jazz. In 1993 he toured with Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, and Cephas & Wiggins on the Masters of the Steel String Guitar tour. He died of liver failure in 2001.