IN CONCERT – Nick Colionne & Sillan and Young in Dallas
March 15, 2010 – Here’s a concert not to be missed! Smooth Jazz fans in Dallas will get a special treat this Saturday, March 20 at the Bishop Arts Theater Center!  Nick Colionne and opening act Sillan and Young will have 2 shows at 7 and 9:45PM. Both acts have had No. 1 songs on the Smooth Jazz Now Top 30 Countdown.

Colionne has been a mainstay on the Smooth Jazz Charts since his debut album “It’s my Turn” in the mid 90’s. Heavily influenced by Jazz legend Wes Montgomery he has set a high bar for himself with each album creatively surpassing the one before. Colionne has also featured one Montgomery tribute song on each one of his projects.

Sillan and Young are one of the hottest new groups in Jazz. Featuring vocalist Johanna Sillanpaa and guitarist Aaron Young the band has two albums, ``Better Things`` and ``Under My Feet.``

The show is part of the 2010 Jazz series. Purchase tickets here http://www.tecotheater.org/jazzseries.php

Guitarist Nick Colionne to Host “Keepin’ It Cool” (6-10pm) on Smooth Jazz Now.com Radio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


October 2, 2009
Contact: John Beaudin
(403) 242-5377
johnb@smoothjazznow.com

Smooth Jazz Now.com is very proud to announce the addition of another popular personality to their on-air line-up. Nick Colionne, one of the top guitarists in Jazz, will host ‘Keepin’ It Cool’ starting Monday October 12th.

"I'm really jazzed about playing DJ!,” says Colionne, “I've always tried to be a communicator with my music, and having the opportunity to talk directly to so many music lovers on the radio adds another dimension to that communication that I'm very excited about."

John Beaudin, owner and Program Director of Smooth Jazz Now says, “Nick has that relaxing timbre in his voice that I love in broadcasters. He’s the James Earl Jones or Geoffrey Holder of Jazz and this guy knows what he’s talking about. This gig was made for him.” More

Jazz Star Nick Colionne Headlines Grand Opening of $20M Burnsville MN Performing Arts Center
Dec. 1, 2008 - By popular demand, jazz guitarist and vocalist Nick Colionne will headline at the Grand Opening of the Burnsville, MN Performing Arts Center on January 24, 2009 in the state-of-the-art 1000 seat theater of this new $20 million dollar multi-function facility.

According to Dan Gustafson, Executive Producer of Art and All That Jazz and one of the driving forces supporting the arts in the city..."Nick was the obvious choice to be our Inaugural Act at the new Burnsville Performing Arts Center after his two hugely successful appearances at our Art and All That Jazz Festivals in 2005 and 2006. Everyone is very excited that he's coming back for this gala event".

Burnsville, located 20 minutes south of Minneapolis/St.Paul and 10 minutes from the Mall of America, has long been focused on the arts, and the new PAC is located in "The Heart of the City" development area of Nicollet Commons Park, an area which features a beautiful prairie-style park as well as retail and residential construction. The focus is on bringing arts and cultural opportunities to the area, and the aforementioned Art and All That Jazz Festival is held annually in and around the Park, drawing thousands from a multi-state area.

In addition to the Inaugural show at the PAC, Colionne will be coming in a day early to give a clinic at The Garage, the nationally acclaimed youth center in Burnsville. Says Colionne: "I am thrilled to be opening this fantastic new Performing Arts Center and even happier to return to Burnsville where I have made so many friends over the last few years performing at their summer events. Now that the new PAC will be bringing live entertainment to the area all year long I hope to return soon....and I am really looking forward to meeting the kids and speaking with them. Youth clinics are a privilege for me to do and I'm delighted to be doing one in Burnsville in association with the opening of this beautiful facility."

Opening for Nick will be the outstanding Four80East, a contemporary jazz group coming from Canada for the occasion. Later in the year East Bay Soul, Joyce Cooling and Mindi Abair will be coming to the PAC, with more acts to be announced.

Colionne joined the ranks of today's premier jazz artists with his Top Ten 2003 Album "Just Come On In" that included the mega-hits "High Flyin" and "It's Been Too Long". His 2006 release "Keepin' It Cool" propelled him to the top of the charts once again with the Top Ten hit singles "Always Thinking of You" (which stayed on the R&R charts for an incredible 45 weeks), "Keepin' It Cool" and "If You Ask Me". "Keepin' It Cool" was also named Top Ten CD of the Year for 2006.

His new CD "NO LIMITS" on the prestigious KOCH Records label was released in July 2008, with the first single, the title track "NO LIMITS", currently rising on the charts.

Colionne titled his new project "NO LIMITS" to describe where he is in terms of his music saying "the project "NO LIMITS" is my latest adventure. I call it an adventure because I wanted to explore doing some different things with my music and not limit myself to one genre or style of playing". Colionne teamed up with two Grammy-award winning writers for the CD: Jim Peterik who wrote "The Eye Of The Tiger", the theme from the film "Rocky", and Paul Richmond who wrote "Shining Star" for the Manhattans.

As a guitarist and vocalist, Colionne's live performances defy categorization. His shows incorporate all the music he loves best and the influences he's had throughout his career. You are as likely to hear Nick sing the blues or some heartfelt R&B as you are to hear his blazing jazz licks, or even the hint of metal, recalling the beginning of his career as a heavy metal guitarist. From that diverse musicality comes an incredible live performance that showcases the talent, vocal ability and yes, comedic timing, of this charismatic entertainer.

Nick Colionne, Prepares New CD
February 5, 2008 -Nick Colionne, the Smooth Jazz guitarist on the funky side, has signed a contract with the music label Koch Records. His next album called "No Limits" is set to be released in the late spring or early summer 2008. "No Limits", according to the musician, will be a reflection of his live performances and will feature several tracks, on which he will be the lead singer.Koch Records has lately released albums by top Smooth Jazz musicians such as guitarist Steve Oliver ("Radiant" in 2006), twice Grammy Award-winning famous keyboardist Bob James ("Urban Flamingo" in 2006) and popular flutist/saxophonist Nelson Rangell ("My American Songbook (Vol. 1)" in 2005). Therefore, a good deal for Koch Records. For more information: http://www.nickcolionne.com/ - by Akbar Nour

Nick Colionne Keeps Connected
January 16, 2008 - Nick Colionne doesn't take anything for granted. The talented Smooth Jazz guitarist believes in making connections, not only with his fans but also his community. Colionne does lots of charity work and generally points his attention to things that are good. "I try to do the right thing," he told Smooth Jazz Now, "I feel blessed that I care, you can't make anyone care about anything, they have to want to make a change and that comes from the inside." Colionne is also plugged into the importance of being relevant in the music industry, "I can't imagine taking any of this for granted, and I work hard at this. I can't imagine doing anything different." The guitarist is set to do a very interesting show at the industry event NAMM with Heart. There's a pairing you probably thought would never happen. The gig on Saturday January 19 in Anaheim, Ca. has Nico on the same bill as Anne and Nancy Wilson - I bet he could do a few interesting things to Barracuda! - by John Beaudin  

Nick Colionne To Talk About The Biz
August 25, 2007 – Nick Colionne believes in sharing the wealth. The popular Chicago guitarist has written the book on how to give back including tons of charity work. Colionne is now slated to give a free talk at Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus. The event is part of Phoenix Brain Team and will also feature Colionne’s long-time manager, Carol Ray, talking about “The Business of Jazz.” The chat is on Sept 5 at 2PM. – by John Beaudin

Nick Colionne - "I'm An Anxious Kind of Guy"
June 19, 2007 - Even though he's the coolest Smooth Jazzer ever to grace the stage, Nick Colionne says looks can be deceiving; "I just look cool on the outside" say's the guitarist with a big laugh. Colionne who recently won "International Instrumentalist of the year" at the 3rd Annual Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards says, "It's kind of like the duck in the water thing, the duck is just moving along but his feet are going a million miles an hour under the water." Colionne told Smooth Jazz Now that being honest about stage fright is important to him, "I'm usually pretty nervous because everytime you go out there you never know what to expect. It would be nice to know that people will accept and receive you well everywhere you go but your really don't know." He adds, "I try to calm myself down and have that cool appearance but I'm usually pretty anxious, I'm a pretty anxious kind of guy." Look for our exclusive interview with Nick Colionne coming next week on Smooth Jazz Now. - by John Beaudin

Nick Colionne Relieved His Hard Work Finally Paid Off
October 12, 2004 - Nick Colionne is finally at a place in the Smooth Jazz world where his music is being appreciated by a mass audience. Though the guitarist turned pro at fifteen it wasn't until his 4th album "Just Come On In" released last year that he reached the top of the charts. The CD's debut single "High Flying" peaked at #2 on the R&R charts and #1 on the World Smooth Jazz Top 20. Colionne already has a follow up hit with "It's Been Too Long," "It was almost the title of this album," says Colionne, "That's how I felt going into this record I thought this was my last shot. I thought if I don't have a hit with this one I don't know if I'll have the money to do another. I told my manager Carol Ray that I had to get on radio because it had been too long." The tune is currently # 18 on the R&R charts. Read our new interview with Nick.

Nick Colionne Introduces New Jazz Series In Chicago
January 28, 2004 - Nick Colionne has a perfect recipe for a good time in Chicago - His new Thursday evening Jazz series. The guitarist plans to host special evenings of Jazz once a month at "Rhythm, a seriously cool club." Colionne will also feature a special guest on each of the after work Jazz evening including Marcus Johnson on February 12th and keyboard legend Bobby Lyle on March 11th. For information or tickets call 312-492-6100. Colionne who has worked Natalie Cole, Curtis Mayfield and The Staples Singers is currently # 2 on Smooth Jazz Now's national chart with the song "High Flying."