Dana Colley

Dana Colley
Dana Coley performing in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2011)
Background information
Born	17 October 1961 (1961-10-17) (age 50) Hanson, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, blues-rock, indie rock, post-punk
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, harmonica, triangle
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Rykodisc, Dreamworks Records, Hi-n-Dry
Associated acts	Three Colors, Morphine, Orchestra Morphine, Twinemen, A.K.A.C.O.D., Members of Morphine

Dana Colley (born October 17, 1961 in Hanson, Massachusetts) is an American musician, best known as the baritone and tenor saxophonist in the alternative rock band Morphine.

Musical career

with Three Colors (1985–1988)

Colley originally appeared in the Boston, Massachusetts indie rock scene playing with the group Three Colors, a post-punk band formed in 1981 whom he joined in 1985.^[1] While Colley established himself as primarily a saxophonist, he also played harmonica with the group. After modest success behind several small-run records and a brief relocation to Princeton, New Jersey, the group disbanded in late 1988.

Morphine (1989–1999)

Main article: Morphine (band)

In 1989, Colley co-founded the dark-spirited band Morphine with charismatic front-man Mark Sandman of Boston-based Treat Her Right. The two were joined by drummer Jerome Dupree and quickly garnered a local following. Their debut album, 1992's Good, was picked up by the Rykodisc label in 1993, and the band embarked on extensive, successful touring.

Shortly thereafter, Treat Her Right drummer Billy Conway replaced Dupree, who was suffering from health problems. Following two more albums with Rykodisc, the band signed with the major label DreamWorks Records in 1996. They scored a minor MTV hit with "Early to Bed" from 1997's Like Swimming, and continued to enjoy local and international success, particularly in Europe. In 1999, Sandman died unexpectedly of a heart attack while onstage in Italy, bringing the band to a tragic and abrupt end.

Post-Morphine projects (1999–present)

Main articles: Morphine posthumous projects and Twinemen

Following Sandman's death, Colley, Conway and Dupree assembled a nine-piece band they dubbed Orchestra Morphine to tour behind their posthumous final album, The Night. Orchestra Morphine remained sporadically active thereafter, reassembling occasionally to perform Morphine material.

Musical chemistry between Colley, Conway and Orchestra Morphine member Laurie Sargent (a Boston mainstay and former member of Face to Face) led the trio to start their own group, Twinemen,^[2] a name they took from a comic drawn by Sandman. Formed in 2001, Twinemen have since released three full-length studio albums and toured extensively. Continuing a tradition he had begun in Morphine, Colley provided woodblock print artwork for the band's records.^[3] Colley, Conway and Sargent were also instrumental in re-opening the Hi-n-Dry studio and record label, Sandman's former workspace and imprint.

In 2006, Colley co-founded A.K.A.C.O.D. with bassist/songwriter Monique Ortiz of Bourbon Princess and drummer Larry Dersch. Considering themselves a low rock band in the tradition of Morphine,^[4] the band released their debut Happiness album in 2007.

Colley and Dupree began playing with New Orleans transplant Jeremy Lyons as Members of Morphine in 2009. This trio performs classic Morphine songs alongside of new material, and played the ten-year anniversary of Sandman's death at the festival at which it occurred, the Nel Nome Del Rock Festival in Palestrina, Italy, on July 3, 2009.^[5]

Colley has also made guest appearances with Primus (on live versions of the song "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers"), and Lilium, a project from Pascal Humbert of Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand.^[6]

References

1. ^ http://www.soulselects.com/3colors/3c.html
2. ^ http://www.concertlivewire.com/interviews/twinemen1.htm
3. ^ http://www.concertlivewire.com/interviews/twinemen1.htm
4. ^ http://www.wbcn.com/pages/1797660.php
5. ^ http://www.blurt-online.com/reviews/view/1814
6. ^ http://www.16horsepower.com/biography.html

External links

• Three Colors at Gbmusic.com
• The Other Side - a Morphine fan page
• Twinemen at MySpace.com
• Official A.K.A.C.O.D. page
• Members of Morphine at MySpace.com

Persondata
Name	Colley, Dana
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 17, 1961
Place of birth	Hanson, Massachusetts
Date of death
Place of death