Vanessa Collier is an award-winning American blues, soul, funk, and R&B saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter known for her fiery energy and lyrical finesse. Born in Dallas and raised in Maryland, she picked up the saxophone at age nine and later earned dual degrees in Performance and Music Production & Engineering from Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating in 2013. Early in her career, she toured with blues icon Joe Louis Walker before striking out solo, swiftly gaining recognition for her powerful stage presence and commanding instrumental chops.
Since then, Vanessa has released a compelling series of albums—including Heart Soul & Saxophone (2014), Meeting My Shadow (2017), Honey Up (2018), Heart on the Line (2020), and Do It My Own Way (2024)—earning multiple Blues Music Awards, including Horn Player of the Year (2019, 2020, 2024) and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year (2022). Her dynamic fusion of funk, blues, and soul, combined with witty songwriting and searing sax solos, has drawn praise from critics and live audiences across the U.S., Europe, and beyond. On Thursday, December 4, 2025, Vanessa Collier returns to The Iridium in NYC to deliver a high-voltage, genre-blending performance that promises to ignite the stage and reaffirm her place among today’s most electrifying blues artists.