Having been on the scene for over ten years now, Nicholas Payton has shed the “young lion” tag and evolved into one of jazz’s brightest trumpet stars. Nick@Night is another fine showcase for his lyrical tone, intelligent improvs and maturing compositional talent. A good leader has to have a good band and Payton’s regular group — Tim Warfield (tenor sax), Anthony Wonsey (keyboards), Reuben Rogers (bass) and Adonis Rose (drums) — have certainly developed a solid rapport over the years. Together they tackle the quicksilver bop changes of Blacker Black’s Revenge, the tender moodiness of Exquisite Goddess and the gentle swing of Pleasant Dreams. Mention should also be made of the cookin’ title cut, a tune clearly inspired by the golden era of 50’s BlueNote label funk. Nick@Night gets it right! ####