Vinny Golia
Vinny Golia is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation.
Career
As a composer, Golia fuses the rich heritage of jazz, contemporary classical music and world music. Also a bandleader, he has presented his music to concert audiences in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States in ensembles varying dramatically in size and instrumentation. Golia has won numerous awards as a composer, including grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Lila Wallace Commissioning Program, the California Arts Council, Meet the Composer, Clausen Foundation of the Arts, Funds for U.S. Artists and the American Composers Forum. In 1982 he created the ongoing 50-piece Vinny Golia Large Ensemble to perform his compositions for chamber orchestra and jazz ensembles.A multi-woodwind performer, Golia's recordings have been consistently picked by critics and readers of music journals for their yearly "ten best" lists. In 1990 he was the co-winner of the JazzTimes TDWR award for Bass Saxophone. In 1998, he ranked 1st in the Cadence Magazine Writers & Readers Poll and has continually placed in the Down Beat Critics Poll for Baritone & Soprano Saxophone. In 1999, he won the LA Weekly award for "Best Jazz Musician". Jazziz magazine has also named him as one of the 100 people who have influenced the course of jazz in the 21st century. In 2006, the Jazz Journalists Association honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, he won the Down Beat Critics Poll in the "New Star" category for baritone saxophone.
Golia has been a featured performer with Anthony Braxton, Henry Grimes, John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Joëlle Léandre, Wadada Leo Smith, Horace Tapscott, John Zorn, Tim Berne, Bertram Turetzky, George Lewis, Barre Phillips, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Patti Smith, Harry Gibson, Eugene Chadbourne, Kevin Ayers, Peter Kowald, John Bergamo, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennick, Lydia Lunch, Harry Sparrney and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Golia founded the jazz record label Nine Winds in 1977.
Ensembles
Golia has a formed a number of ensembles that showcase both his style of composition and improvisation. These groups range from the his Large Ensemble to a variety of mixed quintets, saxophone quartets, duos, sextets and arrangements for jazz and classical orchestras. Most recently, Golia has performed and toured with his sextet which features some of the new voices in the Los Angeles free-improv scene. The group, composed of Gavin Templeton, Daniel Rosenboom, Alexander Noice, Andrew Lessman and Jon Armstrong, has given performances at many of the premiere U.S. new music venues and festivals including Angel City Jazz Festival at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the Outsound New Music Summit in San Francisco, and The Stone in New York.Discography
- 1977 Vinny Golia. Spirits in Fellowship
- 1978 Anthony Braxton. Creative Orchestra 1978
- 1979 Vinny Golia. Openhearted
- 1979 Vinny Golia Wind Quartet. Live at the Century City Playhouse - Los Angeles, 1979
- 1979 The Vinny Golia Trio....In the Right Order...
- 1979 Tim Berne. The Five-Year Plan
- 1980 Vinny Golia. Solo
- 1980 Tim Berne. 7X
- 1980 Walter Thompson. Stardate
- 1980 Roberto Miguel Miranda. The Creator's Musician
- 1981 The Vinny Golia Trio. Slice of Life
- 1981 The Vinny Golia Quintet. The Gift of Fury
- 1981 Roberto Miguel Miranda. Raphael
- 1982 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Compositions for Large Ensemble
- 1984 Wayne Peet/ Vinny Golia Duo. No Reverse
- 1984 John Rapson. Deeba Dah-Bwee
- 1984 Michael Vlatkovich. 9113
- 1985 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Goin' Ahead
- 1985 Michael Vlatkovich/Charles Britt. Transvalue Book I
- 1986 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Facts of Their Own Lives
- 1986 Richard Grossman. One...Two...Three...Four...
- 1987 T.S.O.L. Thoughts of Yesterday
- 1988 The Steve Adams/Ken Filiano Quartet. Anacrusis
- 1989 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Out for Blood
- 1989 Vinny Golia Trio. Puff of Smoke
- 1989 The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band. First Prize
- 1990 John Rapson. Bing
- 1990 Vinny Golia, The Chamber Trio. Worldwide & Portable
- 1990 Bertram Turetzky/Vinny Golia. Intersections
- 1990 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Pilgrimage to Obscurity
- 1991 Richard Grossman and Friends. In The Air
- 1991 Various, Motion Picture EP. Blood and Concrete
- 1992 Brad Dutz. Camels
- 1993 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Decennium Dans Axlan
- 1993 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Against the Grain
- 1993 Mark Harvey & Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. The Aardvark Steps Out
- 1993 Bertram Turetsky. Compositions and Improvisations
- 1994 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Commemoration
- 1994 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Regards From Norma Desmond
- 1994 Rob Blakeslee Quintet. Long Narrows
- 1994 Rich Halley. Umatilla Variations
- 1995 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Tutto Contare
- 1995 Vinny Golia/ Joelle Leadre/ Ken Filiano. Haunting the Spirits Inside Them...
- 1995 Vinny Golia Quintet. Razor
- 1995 Figure 8. Pipe Dreams
- 1995 Kaoru. Welcome to Our Breakfast
- 1996 Vinny Golia, Bertram Turetzky. 11 Reasons to Begin
- 1996 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Nation of Laws
- 1996 Vinny Golia & Ken Filiano. The Art of Negotiation
- 1996 John Carter, Andrea Centazzo, Vinny Golia, Gregg Goodman. USA Concerts West
- 1996 Gregg Bendian Project. Counterparts
- 1997 Vinny Golia, George Lewis, Bertram Turetzky. Triangulation
- 1997 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Portland, 1996
- 1997 The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. An Aardvark Christmas
- 1997 Wadada Leo Smith. Prataksis
- 1997 Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. Psalms and Elegies
- 1997 William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. Sunrise in The Tone World
- 1997 The Vinny Golia Quintet. Dante No Longer Repents
- 1998 Steuart Liebig / Vinny Golia / Billy Mintz. No Train
- 1998 Susan Allen, Vinny Golia. Duets
- 1998 Vinny Golia. Lineage
- 1998 Vinny Golia, George Cremaschi, Garth Powell. Win This Time
- 1998 Paul Smoker-Vinny Golia Quartet. Halloween, The Sequel
- 1998 Ed Harkins, Vinny Golia, Bertram Turetzky. Glossarium
- 1998 Steve Adams / Vinny Golia. Circular Logic
- 1998 The Rob Blakeslee Quartet. Spirit of The Times
- 1999 Jeff Kaiser Featuring Vinny Golia. Ganz Andere
- 1999 Barre Phillips / Bertram Turetzky / Vinny Golia. Trignition
- 1999 The NOW Orchestra. Wowow
- 1999 The Motor Totemist Guild. City of Mirrors
- 1999 Brad Dutz. Heat The Grill Cook Loin
- 1999 Tim Berne. The Empire Box
- 2000 The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. The Other Bridge
- 2001 Steuart Liebig / Vinny Golia / Billy Mintz. Antipodes
- 2001 Vinny Golia. Clarinet
- 2001 Mark Trayle / Vinny Golia. Music for Electronics & Woodwinds
- 2001 Alex Cline Ensemble. The Constant Flame
- 2001 John Rapson. Water And Blood
- 2003 Vinny Golia. Feeding Frenzy - Music For Woodwinds & String Quartet
- 2003 Vinny Golia. Music for Like Instruments: The Eb Saxophones
- 2004 The Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet. 13 Themes for a Triskaidekaphobic
- 2004 Liebig / Vatcher / Golia. On The Cusp Of Fire And Water
- 2004 Lydia Lunch. Smoke In The Shadows
- 2004 Vinny Golia. Music For Like Instruments; The Flutes
- 2004 Nels Cline / Vinny Golia. The Entire Time
- 2004 The Vinny Golia Quintet. One, Three, Two
- 2004 Peter A. Schmid / Vinny Golia. Birdology
- 2004 Vinny Golia. A Gift for the Unusual: Music for Contrabass Saxophone
- 2004 Various. Morton Feldman Jazz Tributes
- 2004 The Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet with The Ojai Camerata/The Kaiser/Diaz-Infante Sextet. The Alchemical Mass/Suite Solutio
- 2005 Vinny Golia. Music for Like Instruments: The Flutes
- 2005 Bert Turetzky. Tributes
- 2005 Vinny Golia. Music for Like Instruments: The Clarinets
- 2005 Vinny Golia Quartet. Sfumato
- 2005 Adam Lane Trio Feat. Vinny Golia and Vijay Anderson. Zero Degree Music
- 2006 Tim Hodgkinson. Sketch of Now
- 2006 Various. The New US Concerts
- 2007 Michael Vlatkovich/Charles Britt. Transvalue Book III
- 2007 Adam Lane Quartet. Buffalo
- 2007 Various. Healing Force: The Songs of Albert Ayler
- 2008 Vinny Golia. Music For Like Instruments:The Bb Saxophones
- 2009 Mooey Moobau. All Murmur of Our Mothers’ Waters and Live Bloody Live
- 2009 Peter Kowald & Vinny Golia. Mythology
- 2009 Bertram Turetzky, Vinny Golia. The San Diego Session
- 2009 Anthony Braxton. Creative Orchestra 1978
- 2009 Bobby Bradford Extet. Midnight Pacific Airwaves
- 2009 Vinny Golia / Damon Smith / Weasel Walter. Großes Messer
- 2010 Nels Cline. Dirty Baby
- 2010 Vinny Golia, Mark Dresser. Live At Lotus
- 2010 Brad Dutz – Vinny Golia. Duets
- 2010 Bert Turetzky / George Lewis / Vinny Golia. Triangulation II
- 2010 The Weasel Walter Septet. Invasion
- 2011 The Daniel Rosenboom Septet. Fallen Angeles
- 2011 Estamos Ensemble. Jimpani Kustakwa Ka Jankwariteecher
- 2011 The Vinny Golia Sextet. Abstractions and Retrocausalities
- 2011 The Vinny Golia Octet. Low and Inside;
- 2011 Rent Romus’ Lords Of Outland with Vinny Golia. Edge Of Dark
- 2011 Vinny Golia. Lethologica
- 2011 Vinny Golia Quartet. Take Your Time
- 2011 Anthony Braxton. Orchestra 1978
- 2012 Vinny Golia, Marco Eneidi, Lisa Mezzacappa, Vijay Anderson. Hell-Bent In The Pacific
- 2012 Scott Robinson, Vinny Golia, J.D. Parran, Warren Smith. Creative Music for 3 Bass Saxophones
- 2012 Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Overview; 1996-2006
- 2012 Ross Hammond Quartet. Adored
- 2012 Vinny Golia. The Ethnic Project
- 2013 Ross Hammond Quartet. Cathedrals
- 2013 Alex Cline. For People In Sorrow
- 2013 Vinny Golia & Urs Leimgruber. Empiricism In The West
- 2014 Ross Hammond w/ Catherine Sikora, Vinny Golia, Clifford Childers, Kerry Kashiwagi, Dax Compise. Humanity Suite
- 2014 Weasel Walter, Various. Improvised Music Sampler 2014
- 2015 Brzytwa/ Golia. Brzytwa / Golia
- 2015 Vinny Golia. At Gold Lion Arts
- 2016 Matty Harris. Double Septet
- 2016 Vinny Golia And Ken Filiano. Elongation
- 2016 Vinny Golia, Oliver Lake, Ross Hammond and Adam Lane. Live At The Downtown Music Gallery NYC
- 2016 Ross Hammond and Vinny Golia. Ross Hammond And Vinny Golia
- 2016 Ross Hammond Quartet. Live at The Blue Whale
- 2017 Lisa Mezzacappa, Vinny Golia. Glorious Ravage
- 2017 Estamos Ensemble. suube tube
- 2017 Vinny Golia. Intercommunications
- 2017 Vinny Golia. Music For Woodwinds, Strings, Piano, And Percussion
- 2017 Vinny Golia. Syncquistic Linear Expositions And Their Geopolitical Outcomes
- 2017 Nathan Hubbard, Vinny Golia. Hunter's Moon
- 2017 John Tchicai, Vinny Golia, Bill Smith, Clyde Reed, Gregg Simpson. Du Maurier, Vancouver Jazz Festival, 1988
- 2017 Vinny Golia Wind Quartet. Live at the Century City Playhouse - Los Angeles, 1979
- 2018 Burrows, Campbell, Golia, Reed. Tales from The Zoo
- 2018 Vinny Golia, Steph Richards, Bert Turetzky. Trio Music
- 2018 The Vinny Golia Sextet.Trajectory
- 2018 David Mott, Vinny Golia. Music for 2 Baritone Saxophones: "Have You Heard?
- 2018 Vinny Golia, Henry Kaiser, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Damon Smith, Weasel Walther. Astral Plane Crash
- 2018 Steve Adams/Vinny Golia Duo. The Philosophy of Air
- 2018 Vinny Golia/Gianni Mimmo. Explicit
- 2018 The Vinny Golia New Music Orchestra. Live at Redcat Los Angeles
- 2019 The Vinny Golia Quartet. Left, Outside...!
- 2019 Dan Clucas/Vinny Golia/Stuart Liebig/Alex Cline. Boojum Quartet
- 2019 Shiroishi / Golia / Fujioka / Cline. Borasisi
- Creative Orchestra 1978
- For People in Sorrow
- First Prize
- Sunrise in the Tone World
- Prataksis