Nick at Long Beach
The Nick Colionne Newsletter )
September 2008
IN THIS ISSUE
  • MORE RAVE REVIEWS!!!
  • RhythmFlow.net Review
  • CDConnection.com Review
  • SoulBrother.com
  • NO LIMITS Tour Dates
  • What Nick's Been Up To
  • Nick's Epiphone Birthday Cake!
  • LATE BREAKING CD REVIEW - JAZZBRO.COM
  • Nick's webstore
  • Smooth Music Cruise
  • 5 WAYS TO WIN AN EPIPHONE BROADWAY!
  • Contact Information
  • Can you believe summer is almost over? I can't!!!

    I know where it went though - to all of you who have come to see me out on the road I thank you for supporting jazz and me. The new CD is doing great, the new single is on the charts and moving fast. It's been a good summer for me and the band!

    Heading into fall there are some great festivals coming up (Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival outside of Milwaukee in West Bend, WI is the first one up in September...see my schedule below for info on it and more...) and I am looking forward to seeing you as we tour the country. Enjoy the rest of your summer, see you on the road!

    Peace,
    Nick



    This newsletter is produced by On The Edge Productions. We welcome your comments. Contact info at the end of the newsletter.

    Photo of Nick at the Long Beach Jazz Festival by Peter Boehi; montage created by Carol Ray


    MORE RAVE REVIEWS!!!

    RhythmFlow.net Review

    "Cool Jazz, for a Hot Summer! Nick Colionne is raising the bar, and it has 'No Limits'. Constantly touring has allowed him to craft a diverse sound that is quite evident and refreshing on this new project."

    CDConnection.com Review
    cdconnection

    Guitarist and vocalist Nick Colionne's new recording is packed with an exciting blend of jazz, funk, R&B and a touch of the blues. With the addition of his rich baritone voice, the fresh tracks on No Limit incorporate the many musical influences (including Wes Montgomery ) Colionne has had throughout his career. The eclectic visions of two of his longtime band members -- keyboardist John Blasucci and bassist Hollywood Dave Hiltebrand as well as the Grammy winning songwriters Jim Peterik and Paul Richmond, turns this happening CD into one of Colionne's best works since 'Keepin' It Cool' hit the airwaves.

    The mix of tunes on 'No Limits' is a true reflection of the full artist, including more vocals, in response to the many fans who are delighted with his rich baritone voice in concert and constantly ask why he hasn't sung more on his CDs! 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.

    SoulBrother.com
    SoulBrothers

    SoulBrother.com is a very funky, jazz and soul oriented site originating in England, where Nick's new CD "NO LIMITS" has been in their top 10 for the last several weeks. Here's what they have to say:

    "Nick Colionne's guitar playing has been compared to George Benson and from style and tone standpoint you can hear why. Cuts like 'No Limits', the mellow 'The Big Windy Cat' and the ultra fast 'Godfather J' are uptempo funky/smooth gems. 'Steppin Back' has that steppers feel, whilst 'Headin Wes Before Dawn' takes a melodic route in paying homage to Wes Montgomery. There are 3 vocal cuts and ...his crooning style works on the laid-back 'Melting Into You'. This is a fine exhibition of Smooth Jazz guitar."

    NO LIMITS Tour Dates
    NickinSpotlights

    Upcoming dates - more in the works

    2008

    * 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 Eric Marienthal 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 - WFSS'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 10 - The Spirit of New York, Manhattan Cruise with The Smooth Cruise ENCORE...An All-Star Jam featuring Nick, Norman Brown and Shilts (Down to the Bone). For tickets visit www.smoothjazznewyork.com or call 866.211.3812. Two sailings, 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

    * 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, Greg Adams, Steve Cole, Alan Hewitt and Althea Ren�. To reserve your cabin, contact: 877-529-9729 for booking info and Summer Specials.

    photo by Cary Gillaspie

    What Nick's Been Up To
    warmdaddys

    August kicked off with Nick and the band at the beautiful Old Mill Inn and Spa in Toronto for the Canadian debut of "NO LIMITS", presented by The Wave 94.7. Nick had a great time and enjoyed meeting so many of his Canadian fans. Thanks to Mary Kirk, Rob Taggart and especially Michael Kalmar, owner of this fabulous resort hotel, for a tremendous experience.

    Next up was the Long Beach Jazz Festival. This was Nick's first time performing at this venue, and the weather was San Diego perfect, as was the crowd. Thanks to Al Williams and Kim Benoit as well as John Rozenberg for a great time and a very well run event! Special thanks to Tina Wong for her personal assistance with logistics.

    August 21 and 22 found Nick in Philadelphia for two very different events. On Thursday Nick joined three young musicians on their very first gig at Warmdaddy's, presented by WJJZ Smooth Jazz 97.5, along with primo artists Gerald Veasley, Jeff Bradshaw, and Chico, all world class and Philadelphia based. The boys - Mike, Max and Jay - all aged 15, have real talent and really got into jammin'. The artists involved enjoyed the "live" mentoring of these young musicians and the boys in turn appreciated the truly unique experience playing with world-class artists gave them.

    Friday the 22nd was Penns Landing, and what a night it was! Spectacular weather and 7,000 people made this one of the best events of the summer for Nick and the band. With the river breezes behind them and the crowd in front of them, the band and Nick put on one amazing show. Thanks to Keeya Branson-Davis and Shelvia Williams, and Michael Tozzi and Frank Childs from WJJZ for a fabulous evening.

    You would have thought nothing could follow Penns Landing for the guys, but the next night proved that to be totally incorrect! Smooth Jazz at South Shore, Michigan City, IN, showcased Nick and fellow headliiner Mindi Abair as they rocked the Indiana Dunes to a crowd of 2,000 plus. Hosted by Rick O'Dell, program director for WNUA 95.5 Chicago, this night was one of surprises galore for Nick - after his third song everyone in the crowd (and the band!) put on party hats and sang Happy Birthday and Mindi Abair followed that up with a surprise visit on stage to play the most soulful and sexy version of Happy Birthday ever to come from a saxophone! And the cake...well, see the photo below! For once, Nick was actually speechless!!! Prior to the show, Nick and Mindi met with 50+ kids from the Michigan City area and discussed music, the business and life experiences with them. The children presented Nick with a huge handmade birthday card signed by everyone of them and you can bet there was a tear in his eye when it was presented to him. The Kickin' With Nick members made sure they also contributed to Nick's total birthday celebration, led by Kickin's president Carrie. Many thanks to Bernie Scott for this wonderful party and event.

    Nick was home for a day and then it was off to Denver where he performed at the Denver Jazz and Blues Festival held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention. It was an exciting time to be in Denver, and thanks go to Becky Taylor and Vernon Barbary.

    Leaving Denver, Nick flew to Washington, DC, to perform "live" with the band at XM's studios and showcased tunes from his new CD "NO LIMITS" as well as a few old favorites. Trinity, Watercolors Music Director, made sure everything was smooth as silk and the live audience (invitation only) loved the experience as much as Nick and the band did. Thanks to Trinity and Lily for their hospitality and support!

    The same evening as the XM performance saw Nick back at one of his favorite places, the Lansdowne Resort and Spa in Lansdowne, MD. This was Nick's fourth appearance at Lansdowne and despite a rainy start to the day, he and the band were able to perform outdoors that evening on the beautiful terrace of the resort to a full house and a contingent of over 40 Kickin' With Nick members and their friends, who helped Nick and all the August babies present celebrate their birthdays with a special cake (thanks to Rusty O'Brien) that featured the cover of Nick's new CD "NO LIMITS" prior to the show. Kickin' member Barbara Boyd provided special gifts for the attendees, much to their delight. Many thanks go to Seth Peterson and Warren Breaux from the Lansdowne, as well as Warren Jones and Regina, for another great night. Special thanks to the staff at the Lansdowne for everything they did to make this a great weekend!

    photo of the Warmdaddy's jam by Mike's proud dad, Michael Tozzi.

    Nick's Epiphone Birthday Cake!
    birthdaycake

    Chef Terry Zych from Ivy Tech Culinary Arts School in Michigan City baked the most amazing cake in the shape of Nick's guitar, complete to the custom Epiphone pick guard and strap, and it was presented on stage to Nick.

    LATE BREAKING CD REVIEW - JAZZBRO.COM
    JAZZBROLOGO

    In "No Limits", Nick Colionne quickly blows the roof off the building, wasting no time in the title track, and, from there, never lets up... the variety of guitar stylings, licks, and instrumental communication kept us wanting more throughout .. and just when we think we've heard it all, we find that the guy can SING, as Nick lends his smoky voice to the dark and bluesy "Melting Into You" and "Hard Line." At the top of our list are visits through time with one of Nick's biggest influences, Wes Montgomery, in "Ports of Call" and "Headin' Wes Before Dawn." If you want something boring, you're in the wrong place here .. and to beat an over-used phrase, "It's All Good" can be used just one more time .. the entire CD is worth a listen!

    Nick's webstore

    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 as well as other merchandise. Check it out!

    Smooth Music Cruise
    2009cruiselogo

    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....

    5 WAYS TO WIN AN EPIPHONE BROADWAY!
    EPIBROADWAY

    Thanks to Epiphone Guitars and Haven Entertainment, you have five ways to win an Epiphone Broadway guitar, one of Nick's favorites. The Broadway has a retail value of $1300 and if you win one, it will be autographed to you personally by Nick!

    First way to win - be a member of Kickin' With Nick, the Nick Colionne fan club. On January 4, 2009, one lucky Kickin' member will have their name drawn and will be the winner of guitar #1!

    Second way to win - be the Kickin' member who signs up the most new members by January 4, 2009 and win guitar #2!

    Third way to win - book the 2009 Smooth Music Cruise under Nick's code, NICK01, and be invited to a special, Nick's folks-only, guitar clinic on board the beautiful Celebrity Century, where a winner will be drawn during the clinic...that's guitar #3!

    Fourth and Fifth ways to win - book the 2009 Smooth Music Cruise where one guitar will be given out to a lucky audience member during each of Nick's two mainstage performances...that wraps it up with guitars # 4 and 5!

    For info on the 2009 Smooth Music Cruise and how to book, visit the link above this article.

    Contact Information

    Artist Manager: Carol Ray, On The Edge Productions (847) 359-9941 / e-mail: [email protected]

    Promotions Manager: Tom Clark, On The Edge Productions (610) 918-3252 / e-mail: [email protected]

    Marketing/Media Manager: Christine Clark, On The Edge Productions (610) 291-9278 / e-mail: [email protected].

    Booking Agent: Steve Butler, Mighty Music Corp (718) 682-3611 / e-mail: [email protected]

    Quick Links...

    Management: Carol Ray, On The Edge Productions 847-359-9941
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