Colosseum

Genres:	Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	funeral doom metal • progressive rock • funeral doom • doom metal • jazz rock • finnish
Decades Active:	1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s

Biography

The commercial acceptance of jazz rock in the UK was mainly due to Colosseum. The name was formed in 1968 from the nucleus of the musicians who accompanied John Mayall on his influential album, Bare Wires. Colosseum comprised Jon Hiseman (21 June 1944, Blackheath, London, England; drums), Dick Heckstall-Smith (b. Richard Malden, 26 September 1934, Ludlow, Shropshire, England, d. 17 December 2004, England; saxophone), Dave Greenslade (b. 18 January 1943, Woking, Surrey, England; bass) and James Litherland (b. 6 September 1949, Manchester, England; guitar/vocals). ex-Graham Bond Organisation members Heckstall-Smith and Hiseman took their former boss’ pivotal work and made a success of it. From the opening track of their magnificent debut, Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (1969), with Bond’s ‘Walkin’ In The Park’, the band embarked on a brief excursion that would showcase each member as a phenominal musical talent. Heckstall-Smith,...

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