No one likes hearing dire predictions about the imminent demise of jazz as an art form. And yet it's hard to deny that jazz seems at times to be slowly fading into the background. The genre receives relatively scant airplay, and is frequently relegated to little more than footnotes in the annual Grammy awards show. Increasingly, jazz seems to be heard primarily as soundtracks for television shows, commercials and motion pictures. Perhaps most disturbing is the thought that those few young people who are learning about jazz frequently are doing so only from a historical perspective, as though it's already gone.
For more than twelve years now, Chicago-based jazz guitarist/vocalist Nick Colionne has chosen to actively do something about this problem. All but his most avid fans know Colionne solely through his public persona: a nattily-attired smooth jazz showman with a playing style that invokes comparisons to Wes Montgomery or George Benson.
AAJ's youth correspondent, teenager Mikayla Gilbreath, turns the spotlight on Colionne for the latest installment of her Mikayla's Totally Jazzed column. It's an interview that will appeal to readers of all ages.
Check out Nick Colionne: Making a Difference for the Future at AAJ today!
For more information contact All About Jazz.
