By Frank Alkyer | Published August 2026
Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Isaiah Collier has become known as a fiery artist channeling John Coltrane’s driven spirituality, Chicago’s AACM avant garde aesthetic and a personal love of individual expression. But drop the needle on Joy, his new five-song EP, and there’s a totally different side of Collier’s artistic being. He delivers old-school Motown wrapped in hip, young Chicago for 27 minutes and 11 seconds of pure … Yep, you’ve got the idea. If you’ve been following the 28-year-old rising star’s career, the title track, which is also the first track, snaps your head around. Sixties pop piano? R&B chimes? Violins? A killin’ horn section riff? The buildup is one part Smokey Robinson and one part fellow Chicagoan Chance the Rapper. And then it happens. Isaiah Collier sings. The man who tells stories through his array of instruments also has a great voice. “Joy,” the song, is a summertime, top-down, driving slow banger that can also raise you up for church on Sunday morning. It’s guaranteed to pick you up when you’re feeling down. On “Landscape Of Dreams,” Collier plays all the instruments — piano, flutes, percussion, drums, bass — on this breathy dose of happiness. “Where I’m Loved” shines the spotlight on Collier’s falsetto and relationships on a straight-up r&b groove. “When The Dust Settles” takes the set in a totally different very electric direction. Collier had just received a microKorg synth from co-producer Sunny Daze. So, he started messing with it joined by Cole Runge on guitar and his brother Jeremiah Collier on drums. For those who don’t know, Jeremiah is incredibly talented, too, touring with Stanley Clarke as well as playing with his own band The REUP. The result is a massive U-turn from the rest of the set, but it’s crazy fun. To close the set, Mr. Collier takes us to church with “God’s By Your Side.” Collier notes that the song was inspired by the passing of D’Angelo. The theme is absolutely beautiful: keep moving, keep going forward. And that’s exactly what Isaiah Collier does. He moves forward, following the muse, following his heart. And he has a big, curious heart.
