ABE
Abe
Art Collis a.k.a. Abe, has lived all over the proverbial map: New Jersey; NYC; DC; Philly; Cincinnati and LA.
Abe played Bullwinkle in the touring company of the ‘Bullwinkle Show’ and a redneck sheriff in the film, ‘Jesus the Driver’. He co-wrote the film ‘Blue Desert’, starring Courtney Cox. Abe directed and co-produced the hit comedy show ‘Banned in France’ in New York City. He is also the co-author of the novel, ‘Attack’, published by Ballantine books.
Abe is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati in political science. He later taught Special Education in the Los Angeles Unified School District for several years before finding himself in music.
You may be wondering, why the name Abe? It’s in reference to his father, ‘Abraham’, whose music played a major role in the Collis family upbringing. It was his father’s love of music that inspired him at an early age. It was later that his brother, Dave Collis, also a musician, would encouraged him to pursue his musical career. ‘Get your songs down on tape, and then get them to somebody who plays!’ His brother would always say.
This led him to producer, Eric Kirkland, whose knowledge and musicianship helped create the sound of Abe. ‘It comes down to bass, drums and melody’, Kirkland would chant everyday. Abe would literally bring his songs on tape and it was their love of the music and collaboration that would bring the songs to life.
‘Music comes to me in waves…
For me, music is emotions, and an emotional melody comes to me and then the words that fit that melody comes next. I don’t sit down to write a song per se on a given subject, instead the music usually comes from those subjects past and present that seem to repeat themselves in the cycles of life. I’m looking forward to people listening to my music and hope that it will also reach them in their emotional point and place in time’… Abe