Piano and vocal entertainer David Collini performs mostly on solo piano but also performs on drums. He has networked with some of the most versatile musicians in Michigan.

For 35 years, David has performed at nightclubs, hotels, and on cruise ships throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America. Numerous concerts of original music have also been organized, promoted, and performed by David and his associates.

David has also recorded and performed with many famous musicians: Patrick Moraz (Yes, Moody Blues) Rick Zunigar (Stevie Wonder) Brian Bromberg, Brandon Fields, Doug Lunn, Billy Mitchell, George Benson (sax, Marvin Gaye), Marcus Belgrave (Ray Charles), Michael Gibbs, Jimmy Hunter, Mark Byerly (Justin Timberlake, Bob Seger), Matt Guitar Murphy, Hilton Ruiz, Bill Kirchen, Grand Funk Railroad, Vinx, Bob James, and Rodney Whitiker.

David has also had the honor of spending time and talking with some of the great elder statesmen of jazz. Barrett Deems, Roy Eldridge, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Ed Thigpen, Tony Williams, Roy Harte, Michael Gibbs.

Born in Detroit Michigan, piano, vocalist and drummer David Collini started entertaining at age thirteen with his uncle Al on B-3 organ. David accompanied on drums. He grew up in a very musical family. It was common at family gatherings for David and Al, with Chuck Sr. on harmonica and brother Chuck on guitar, to play a variety of R&B and rock classics with some blues and jazz mixed in. David has always been fortunate to have the support of his parents Betty and Chuck through out his 35yrs as an entertainer and performer.

David attended the Roscommon school system in mid-Michigan from K-12th grade where he enjoyed the expert instruction of both the band director and the choir director for seven years. In his senior year he completed a college correspondence course through Berklee College of Music. At his final high school performance with the 16 piece jazz band he was featured with an open drum solo that amazed the audience and resulted in a lengthy standing ovation. It was then no surprise when the band director honored David by awarding him with the Loui Armstrong Award for outstanding musician of the year.

David was awarded a scholarship to attend Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He was chosen from over thirty other drummers to tour Scandinavia with the B.L.F.A.C. international big band. He then tested into advanced courses in Theory, Arranging and Harmony at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he specialized in performance on piano and drums. During his second year at Berklee he was taken under the wing of famed composer and arranger Michael Gibbs for private theory lessons on the piano. David also studied film scoring and music law. He left Berklee in 1983 maintaining a G.P.A. of 3.8.

At twenty, David started his own record company, Dancin Penguin Records (DPR) and Howling Zuchini Publishing Co. BMI. He financed, composed, and produced his first record entitled Mad Shadows in 1985. This recording highlighted David’s piano expertise and composing abilities. In 1986 he was signed to a five year world distribution deal by Optimism Inc. Two records, Mad Shadows and ASAP were released and did well on radio as reported by BMI.

David spent the winters of 1987-88 and 1995 in Los Angeles where he worked with many well known and respected studio and live performance musicians. He also worked at a complex of buildings that housed three recording studios, a digital editing and mastering studio and a retail music store. David also worked for Pickwick Distribution, K-Tel Records and was assistant to the national promotion director at Optimism Inc. Patrick Moraz, long affiliated with Yes and the Moody Blues, purchased one of the recording studios. Moraz, a master of the keyboards, became a mentor to Collini. Much of ASAP was recorded at Moraz’s Timecode Music and Video Studios. Another CD recorded partly there was The Flying Collini Bros. witch features Moraz on keyboards and David’s drumming capabilities.

David has made a living entertaining and performing on piano, vocals and drums. He has lived in Grand Rapids Michigan, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Boston, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Amsterdam and Italy. He now resides in Traverse City, Michigan a seasonal resort area. From this home base he travels the world entertaining and recording. He has financed, composed, arranged and produced 12 CD’s of original music.

His experience and knowledge about different styles of music on piano, drums and percussion keeps David’s versatile talents in constant demand where ever he goes. Feel free to contact to contact him with job opportunities or just to say “Hi!”

2010-2011
David Collini has been instrumental in organizing and rehearsing a 7 piece band for the Retroback Film Festival in Granada Spain. This years theme is the music from Marilyn Monroes Films, It will take place from Feb 14th to the 28th. It is produced by Sean Ferrera (Audrey Hepburn’s son) The opening night feature performance will be simulcast by Euro Vision and viewed by over 50 million Europeans. After the festival David will travel to Italy with featured vocalist Vanessa Trouble to perform around Tuscany until March 15th.