Nicholas Payton

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Since 1994 when Nicholas Payton made his recording debut as a leader with From This Moment, the trumpeter has been lauded as a significant, top-tier voice in music. Payton consistently committed himself to discovering his voice outside of the strict confines of a “rearview mirror approach” to the music. A true leader, Nicholas continues to push the envelope and move the music forward by meshing contemporary influences into his unique and distinctive sound.

Born into a musical family (he remembers sitting under the piano while his father, bassist Walter Payton, rehearsed with his band) and mentored by two Crescent City jazz masters (Clyde Kerr Jr. at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans), Payton was well-prepared to leap into the fray when he emerged on the New York scene in the early 1990s.

While his journey has taken him down many roads, including the red carpet for his Grammy winning recording with Doc Cheatham (1997)—the 35-year-old trumpeter has blossomed into his own musical maturity in a relatively short period of time. A testament to his prolific abilities, Nicholas Payton is also an accomplished musician on a multitude of instruments including piano, bass, saxophone, trombone, tuba, clarinet, and drums.

Nicholas will be releasing his latest recording for Concord Records expected in the Spring of 2010.

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REVIEWS

The prodigiously gifted trumpeter Nicholas Payton has a fine new album, Into The Blue, that neatly synthesizes his allegiance to hard-bop and groove music.
The New York Times

Warm, spacious and balanced, Payton’s balladry is hard to beat.
The Washington Post

…Simply an unfailingly sweet listening experience.
Billboard

Nicholas Payton’s first offering from Nonesuch purrs with a generally low key, unsullied purity… The sense of equilibrium comes with integrity and craft, in a body of music that is cautious and contemporary.
Downbeat