Cal Collins was a jazz guitarist who is widely revered and one of the most well-known. Born in Medora in 1933, Collins started his career playing bluegrass mandolin. He eventually moved to Cincinnati after completing his Army service. After hearing the great recordings of jazz guitarists Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, he switched to the six string shortly thereafter. Collins was a regular player from the ’50s to the ’70s and was eventually hired as Benny Goodman’s guitarist in 1976. Collins released several highly acclaimed solo records on Concord, including Cincinnati to L.A. and In San Francisco Blues on my Mind. Interplay and Cross Country were also among the titles. In 1979, Cincinnati awarded Collins a Post-Corbett Award. He was part of the Masters of the Steel String Guitar Tour 1993. He played alongside blues guitarist Jerry Douglas and Doc Watson.
