Arizona State University

Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus, in conjunction with the Phoenix Brain Team and NxTHorizon.com, is proud to sponsor a free lecture by international jazz guitarist Nick Colionne entitled “The Business of Jazz” with special guest, jazz industry manager Carol Ray on Sept. 5 from noon to 2 p.m..

Chicago-based Colionne, a professional jazz guitarist who began his career at age 15, has a musical style that truly pushes the envelope of what is accepted as “normal jazz”.

Colionne says his philosophy is “you have to go back to the people who created the music to learn.” He sees jazz as a sophisticated musical form that allows him to shine by playing edgy music with few restrictions.

After exploring different areas of music including rock, blues, rhythm and blues and heavy metal, Colionne eventually came back to his true musical passion - jazz. Colionne is still able to incorporate various other styles of music into his jazz style, which critics have described as “a jazzy R&B sound, with a real funky edge and a pure tone.”

A wiz on the guitar, Colionne believes in telling musical stories by speaking with his instrument. He has written pieces for notable artists including Natalie Cole and Johnny Mathis and has always been described as a unique artist. After various roles in the music business, Colionne now owns and operates a production/management company called On the Edge Production. Colionne strongly feels that without his own “persistence, belief and personal integrity he would not have been able to achieve the success he has today.”

Colionne also shares his success with others. After many years of donating time and musical instruments to underprivileged children, Colionne’s dream is to launch a school where underprivileged children can learn all types of music for free. As a result of Colionne’s volunteerism with the Chicago Jazz Center, various artists have appeared to speak and encourage musically inclined children to go into careers in the entertainment industry.

Colionne’s manager, Carol Ray, will also augment his talk on “The Business of Jazz.” Ray hopes that some day Nick is awarded a Grammy, but for now Colionne’s jazz business is focused on collaborating with other artists and playing the music he loves.

Colionne’s lecture takes place from noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe St. The event is free to the public.

For more information, contact Jessica Florez-Lieb at (602)-549-4034 or Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr., Phoenix Brain Team - NxTHorizon.com at (602) 363-1677.