The 'Pair' Tree Foundation

About the CD's

CD "NO LIMITS", on the prestigious label E1 Records, debuted to rave reviews and the first single, the title tune "No Limits", went Top 10. 

"KEEPIN' IT COOL" produced the Top 10 hits "Always Thinking of You", "If You Ask Me" and "Keepin' It Cool". 

For playlists visit http://www.starz.bz/nickcolionne/

Biography

Red-hot guitarist and vocalist Nick Colionne continues his blazing success in 2009 and on into 2010.  Nick has been described as "one of the finest performers to come along on the jazz scene in a long time" by JazzReview.com.  His newest CD "NO LIMITS", on the prestigious label E1 Records, debuted to rave reviews and the first single, the title tune "No Limits", went Top 10.  His second single, now Top 20 and rising, and is entitled “The Big Windy Cat” and refers to Nick himself.  The title comes from his fellow artists – when they meet at festivals or on the road they say “There’s the cat from the Big Windy”, which is how Nick always refers to his hometown of Chicago!  The CD reflects Nick's dynamic "live" performances with its blend of jazz, R&B, soul and blues, with the added bonus of his rich baritone vocals.

Nick's previous CD "KEEPIN' IT COOL" produced the Top 10 hits "Always Thinking of You", "If You Ask Me" and "Keepin' It Cool".  The CD followed in the path of his CD " JUST COME ON IN" which was also Top 10 with the mega-hits "High Flyin'" and "It's Been Too Long".

Colionne was honored with the prestigious 2007 International Instrumental Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, succeeding 2006 winner Chris Botti, and was nominated for this award again in 2009.  He is a four-time headliner on the Smooth Music Cruise (formerly the All Star Jazz Cruise) and served as the cruise's official Jam Session Host.  The 2009 Seabreeze Jazz Festival, a three day event in Panama City Beach, FL, saw Nick hosting both the festival and the jam session as well as performing in his own headline show, which he also did in 2008 and will repeat in 2010.  Nick also served as the Host of the 25^th Annual Genuine Jazz & Wine Festival in Breckenridge, CO, will host the Jazz On The Vine Festival in 2010 and will be the Jam Session Host on The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2011.  He recently started a new gig as the evening host of SmoothJazzNow.com’s streaming broadcast to a worldwide audience.

Nick is frequently referred to as "the best dressed man in jazz", and he enjoys an on-going endorsement from the men's designer line Stacy Adams as well as a longtime endorsement with Epiphone Guitars (currently featuring him in their national advertising campaigns).  He also counts among his sponsors Gibson Strings and Accessories and AKG Electronics.

The Chicago native learned to play at 9 from his stepfather, was a touring pro by 15 and early on honed his skills playing with R&B legends The Staples Singers, Curtis Mayfield, The Impressions, Natalie Cole and more. Professionally he has played everything from heavy metal to rock to R&B before returning to his first love of jazz, and his dynamic style reflects all of these influences.

Colionne has toured all over the world but still finds time to devote to mentoring children - he is in his 12th year of same at the St. Laurence K-8 School in suburban Chicago, developed a special music curriculum for the Florence B. Price Elementary School for the Performing Arts in Chicago and gives youth clinics all over the country.  Nick will be featured on the cover of the November/December issue of Wine and Jazz Magazine with the focus of his cover story being his charitable work.  In association with this, he has adopted The Pair Tree, a local non-profit dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research and with the magazine, Epiphone Guitars and Tobin James Winery as sponsors, he will donate all of the proceeds of a nationally based silent auction to The Pair Tree.  He is the recipient of the Malcolm X College alumnus of the year award for his contributions to music and the community.

It's no surprise that Nick Colionne's sustained chart-topping radio history and his incredible live performances, infused with his unique and soulful styling of jazz, funk, R&B and blues along with his rich vocals and engaging stage personality, have made him a force to be reckoned with.