Jeffrey Kollman

Biography

Inspired by bands including Kiss and Van Halen, and guitarist Randy Rhoads, Kollman began playing guitar at 12 years old. He made his recording debut at 14, after joining Ohio hardcore punk band The Stain. The Stain was featured on 1984's The Sounds of Hollywood #3 compilation and issued a full-length album, I Know the Scam, in 1986, both on L.A.-based label Mystic Records.

In 1986, Kollman formed the metal band VXN with his brother and drummer Tommy Kollman, vocalist Bryce Barnes and bassist Nep Sindel, and self-released a 6-song mini-LP in 1987. The band morphed into Edwin Dare in 1990 with the addition of bassist Kevin Chown. Edwin Dare toured around the Midwest area and released three albums between 1992 and 1998. During this time, Kollman also released three solo albums. After the demise of Edwin Dare, Kollman and Chown continued to collaborate on various projects, including Crumb Bros., JKB (Jeff Kollman Band) and, most notably, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats.

Kollman moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1995, where he worked as a session musician for Linda McCartney, Lyle Lovett, Wayman Tisdale and others. There he crossed paths with MSG drummer Shane Gaalaas and bassist Barry Sparks, with whom he formed the all-instrumental progressive rock trio, Cosmosquad. In 1997, the group released their eponymous debut, the first of three studio albums to date. In 1998, Kollman filled in for Sparks on bass for MSG on their G3 tour of Europe. That year, Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records contacted Kollman to help write and record the Permanent Mark album with Artension vocalist John West. This led to Jeff teaming up with the core of the classic UFO line-up, as Mogg/Way, for the 1999 Chocolate Box album. Kollman and UFO vocalist Phil Mogg reunited, as $ign of 4, for another album collaboration, Dancing with St. Peter, released in fall 2002.

In 2003, after a UK tour with $ign of 4, Kollman began working with bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (of Deep Purple fame) in a short-lived, pop-oriented trio named Shape 68. He also produced, co-wrote and played guitar for Hughes' 2003 hard rock album Songs in the Key of Rock and would become Hughes' new touring guitar player. Also in 2003, Kollman co-produced the HTP 2 project, featuring Hughes and former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner.

In 2005, Kollman filled in for UFO bassist Pete Way for the duration of the band's U.S. summer tour. He earned his SAG card with a part in the Hank Garland biographical movie Crazy, portraying guitarist Barry Galbraith.

In 2007, Kollman, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and keyboardist Ed Roth, who had met playing with Glenn Hughes, formed an all-instrumental band inspired by their shared love of 70's funk rock and fusion. Still unnamed at the time, the group, rounded out by Kollman's former Edwin Dare bandmate Kevin Chown on bass, debuted at the 2008 NAMM show in Anaheim, California. The band became Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats upon the release of their debut album, Meat the Meatbats, in 2009. More Meat followed in 2010, and a live recording, Live Meat and Potatoes, in 2012.

Returning to the UK, Kollman appeared at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, by special invitation of Lord March, playing the Star Spangled Banner on the roof of Goodwood House on July 4; Brian May of Queen also performed.

In spring 2012, Kollman released Silence in the Corridor, his first studio solo album in more than a dozen years. The album's title track is a tribute to Gary Moore, and the title was inspired by Moore's 1982 solo album, Corridors of Power. It was followed by the release of two digital-only singles, "Waiting in Dark Places" and "Electric Overload", the latter a duet with fellow guitarist Jeff Marshall.

In the early morning hours of December 15, 2012, Kollman's brother Tommy was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. A memorial concert event was held on the brothers' old stomping grounds in South Toledo, Ohio, on May 24 and 25, 2013, with Cosmosquad headlining. Kollman released a digital single, "Brother to Brother", as a tribute in July 2013.

Kollman joined drummer Ray Luzier, bassist Billy Sheehan and DJ Sluggo for a performance at the 25th anniversary Guitar Center Drum-Off at L.A.'s Club Nokia on January 18, 2014 where he also played with Bombastic Meatbats who were joined by special guest Steve Lukather. He released two new digital-only singles, "Eve of Reflection" and "Old Kentucky Thunder", on January 27, 2014. Two more digital singles, "In The Hills of Granada" and "Another Rainy Saturday", were made available March 17, 2014.

In July 2014, Kollman released the mostly acoustic Hills of Granada album, including "In the Hills of Granada", "Another Rainy Saturday", "Old Kentucky Thunder", "Eve of Reflection", "Brother to Brother", "Electric Overload" and "Waiting In Dark Places", all previously released as digital singles.