"(Nick Colionne's) new CD "No Limits" is about as good as smooth jazz gets, literally jumping out of the speakers and demanding your attention. Full of solid grooves and hip melodies, this disc works on every level."

"Throughout the disc, Colionne's melodically driven guitar is front-and-center. Rarely can an artist carry an entire disc on the strength of their singular sound alone. Solos from different instrumentalists are usually required to help break the sonic structure into bits of more easily digestible morsels. Not so here..." Dr. Thomas R. Erdmann, Professor of Music, Jazz Editor, Jazz Reviewer

You're as likely to hear this native of Chicago's West Side sing the blues as you are to hear his blazing jazz licks; and there's no mistaking the R&B/funk influence from his early years of touring with the Staples Singers. A disciple of the pop/soul/jazz immortals Wes Montgomery and George Benson, Nick has put together a collection that evokes the finest efforts of those two masters, smooth yet street-wise and always deep in the pocket.

Read the full review by clicking on the NO LIMITS CD cover. Amazon.com Review and CD page

"Those who have seen him play live will have been blown away by the sheer energy that Colionne injects into his music. It's an element of his persona comes right out of his home town of Chicago and he brings all this and more to his excellent up coming release 'No Limits'..

Already described as both unique and varied, 'No Limits' is Colionne's way of pushing the artistic envelope into areas that transcend genres or styles of play." Review by Denis Poole, publisher

Upcoming dates - more in the works

2008

* August 1 - The Wave 94.7 Presents Jazz at The Old Mill, Toronto, Canada. Canadian Debut of "NO LIMITS"!. The Old Mill Inn & Spa, 21 Old Mill Rd., www.oldmilltoronto.com, (416) 236-2641

* August 9 - Long Beach Jazz Festival, Long Beach, CA. www.longbeachjazzfestival.com

* August 22 - Penns Landing, Philadelphia, PA. WJJZ's Smooth Jazz Summer Nights Series. 7 p.m. at the Great Plaza. Columbus Blvd & Market St., www.pennslandingcorp.com

* August 23 - Smooth Jazz at South Shore - Guy Foreman Amphitheater, Washington Park, Michigan City, IN. Nick and co-headliner Mindi Abair rock the Indiana Dunes! www.smoothjazzatsouthshore.com

* August 27 -Denver Jazz and Blues Festival, Denver, CO. 2400 Washington St., 7 p.m. This festival is going during the Democratic National Convention and should be exciting to say the least! Info at www.denverjazzfestival2008.com.

* August 29 - Jazz On The Potomac, Lansdowne, VA. Nick closes out this great summer jazz series at the spectacular Lansdowne Resort. For info visit www.lansdowneresort.com.

* September 6 - Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival, West Bend, WI. Summer's final great music festival in the Milwaukee/Chicago area! The line-up is terrific, and it's got Nick's good friend and co-writer on NO LIMITS, Jim Peterik (Survivor, Ides of March) on stage right before Nick...musical fireworks for sure with these two! With Greg Adams and Tom Scott forming East Bay Soul earlier in the day and kick-off artist saxman Nelson Rangell, this is going to be a great day for music. Info and tickets at www.kmjazz.com.

* September 20 - Wilson Creek Winery, Temecula, CA, With Marion Meadows. For info visit www.wilsoncreekwinery.com.

* September 27 - WFFS's Third Annual Jazz On The River, Fayetteville, NC. Joining Nick will be Alex Bugnon and Ken Ford. For info visit http://www.wfss.org.

* September 28 - Atlanta Smooth Jazz Festival, Mablehouse Amphitheatre. Atlanta, GA. Join Nick and fellow headliners Wayman Tisdale and Boney James - two days of outstanding music! Visit www.atlantasmoothjazzfestival.com for info.

* October 9 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL. World Stage with Jim Peterik. Ticket info coming soon.

* October 18 - JazzTrax Catalina Jazz Festival, Catalina Island, CA. For info and tickets visit www.jazztrax.com.

2009

* January 17 - World Stage with Jim Peterik. Details coming.

* January 31 - February 5, Smooth Music Cruise. Celebrity Cruises' "Century" luxury ship. Sailing from Miami to Key West, Nassau and Coco Cay. Hosted by Norman Brown, Jam Session Host Nick Colionne; with Boney James, Mindi Abair, Larry Carlton, Heather Headley, Acoustic Alchemy, Marion Meadows, Michael Lington, Steve Oliver, Shilts, Alan Hewitt , Althea René and just announced - Greg Adams and Steve Cole. To reserve your cabin, contact: 877-529-9729 for booking info and Summer Specials.

Photo of Nick and long-time fans from his first days as a solo artist, Pat and Chuck, at the Epiphone Clinic, Sam Ash Music Store, Buffalo Grove, IL.

Nick with Kickin' With Nick members Mary and Bennett Schuldman at the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival. Photo by Bennett Schuldman

July was busy and a lot of fun. First up was Coltrane Jazz and Blues Festival in Dallas, TX. The extreme heat had most of the audience in the shade (except for a few determined dancers!); that night Nick and the band performed at the Brooklyn Jazz Cafe to a packed house (and air conditioning!). Thanks to Lorna and crew for bringing Nick to the Lone Star State!

The the final Sam Ash Music Store/Epiphone clinic in Buffalo Grove, IL. New and old friends came out to attend the clinic, and when we walked out of the store there was a spectacular double rainbow in the sky. An amazing way to start the month!

The Potomac Jazz and Seafood Festival in Colton's Point, MD, was just a spectacular event. It was sold out weeks ahead of time, and the audience was primed and ready for the music. By the time Nick came on the sun was down, the stars were out and the cool breeze from the water hit the hot music from the stage and there was SIZZLE!!! A great venue and a great crowd - thanks to Kim and her wonderful staff for a terrific evening.

The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, CT, was the following weekend and despite the serious heat there was a huge crowd that really enjoyed the show. Some excellent photos came out of this event and two of them are featured in this newsletter! Thanks to Ric and the Committee for bringing Nick and the band to the Nutmeg State.

The last weekend of the month was jam-packed. Friday evening found Nick at the East Lansing, MI, Performance Arts Center which was at capacity with a great music crowd. Nick had them rockin' in their seats and on their feet as well. Many thanks to Charlie and LaVerne and their fine staff of volunteers for a first-class experience all the way around.

Saturday Nick went to Harrisburg, PA, to participate in the 3rd Annual All-Star Jazz for Sickle Cell event hosted by the South Central Pennsylvania Sickle Cell Council and WSJW Smooth Jazz 92.7. Nick joined with Bobby Caldwell, Maysa, James "D-Train" Williams and Everette Harp in Jason Miles' "Celebrating the Music of Marvin Gaye & Motown". Host Paul Scott, Program Director for WSJW, got the crowd revved up for the grand prize of the evening, a cabin on the 2009 Smooth Music Cruise. After Nick drew the winning number Paul really had everyone going as he went section by section, row by row, and seat by seat until the winner was revealed. It was great fun for a great cause. Thanks to the Sickle Cell Council, Jason, Paul, John Ernesto and Haven Entertainment for a marvelous evening.

The last event of the month was the WJJZ 97.5 Sunday Brunch, hosted by Michael Tozzi on the ship/restaurant Moshulu at Penns Landing. Broadcasting live throughout the afternoon, Nick and Michael had lots to talk about, and during the breaks they sampled the fabulous food. A large contingent of Nick's fans attended the brunch so it was kind of like a big reunion! Michael's son Mike is a talented young drummer and he was aboard to spend some time with Nick to talk music, something they both enjoyed. Thanks to Michael, Patty, Rob and Frank at WJJZ making this wonderful afternoon possible.

Nick has a new webstore and more of his CDs are now added. Within a few weeks all six of his CDs will be available on same. Check it out!

Nick and host Norman Brown hope to see you on board the Celebrity "Century" as they and the stellar line-up of artists put on the greatest shows and provide the best entertainment you're likely to see on land OR on sea! For info visit the link below.,...

Nick's ACTUAL birthday is August 19, but being a Leo, he doesn't limit himself to just the actual day - he celebrates all month! If you're at any of Nick's gigs in August please wish him a Happy Birthday. He says there are NO LIMITS to the number of times he likes to hear it!!!

Nick's school photo, age around 9. Still looks the same, only taller!!!

Want to give Nick a present? Purchase his CD! Nick's web store can be visited by clicking below....

Artist Manager: Carol Ray, On The Edge Productions (847) 359-9941 / e-mail: jazz@nickcolionne.com

Promotions Manager: Tom Clark, On The Edge Productions (610) 918-3252 / e-mail: funkyjazznc@gmail.com

Marketing/Media Manager: Christine Clark, On The Edge Productions (610) 291-9278 / e-mail: christine.clark1001@gmail.com.

Booking Agent: Steve Butler, Mighty Music Corp (718) 682-3611 / e-mail: mightymusiccorp@aim.com