Chicago-bred guitarist Nick Colionne is keeping busy. He recently returned from a week aboard the Brian Culbertson All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise, where he directed the nightly jam sessions. Moving forward, he continues to promote his album and is looking forward to getting back into the studio.

In the meantime, the dapper musician has some shows coming up. He says that while fans have no trouble expressing enthusiasm for his guitar performances, occasionally they stumble on his name. While the name Colionne does have some Italian roots, the guitarist says he's had to dissuade some from confusing his surname with that of a fictional Mafia family.

As Colionne explained: "It's Nick Colionne. Colionne. I tell people -- it's not 'Corleone,' like the godfather (laughs). So many people want to call me Nick Corleone. I'm like: No. It's Colionne, you know. Without an 'r.'"

Colionne will perform March 22nd and 24th during the Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania. For more dates, go to www.nickcolionne.com.