DETROIT, Mich. — Chris Collins, associate professor and co-director of Jazz Studies at Wayne State University , will be performing July 13-14 at the World Expo in as part of a solo concert tour in July 5-29.                 

The tour will feature music from Collins’ latest award-winning CD, 3Jazz From The Shamrock Shore2, and new interpretations of the classic jazz repertoire. Collins will tour nearly every day of the tour. Venues include Goto`s  (Tokushima, Japan), Just in Time (Kobe, Japan), Tokyo Disney, Jazz On Top (Osaka, Japan), B-Flat (Tokyo, Japan), Nigata Jazz Street (Nigata, Japan) Club Ikspiari (Chiba, ), Left Alone (Ashiya, ),  Akopekka ( Amagazaki, ), and several charity performances and workshops.

 A professional jazz composer and woodwind player, Collins will be performing with well-known Japanese jazz artists, including Tokyo’s Yutaka Shiina Trio, Keisho Ohno (Tsugaru Syamisen), and Detroit transplant Harvey Thompson. 

 During the past year, Collins has performed in seven countries on four continents. He has played professionally with big-name artists, including the Phil Collins Big Band, Mel Torme, Lou Rawls, Doc Severenson, Michael Fienstien, Rob McConnel, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at numerous jazz festivals and his work has received recognition from Billboard Magazine, Downbeat Magazine, Detroit Jazz Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Detroit News, The Hennesey Jazz Competition, and the International Association of Jazz Educators. He has presented numerous workshops around the world and contributed several articles to the Jazz Educators Journal.