Jazz Articles about Nicholas Payton

Nicholas Payton: Dear Louis

by John Sharpe
August 1, 2001

The problem with tribute albums is that if you present a slavish recreation of an artist's style, you'll be criticized and if you try to put “old wine in new bottles," critics will say you're not being true to the spirit of the originals. Classic catch-22, right?

Regardless, for his tribute to legendary, fellow New Orleans hornman Louis Armstrong, Nicholas Payton has chosen the later approach. Indeed, Payton's sprawling arrangements for his eleven-piece big band have little in common with ...

Nicholas Payton: Dear Louis

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 1, 2001

At the risk of stating the obvious, the best tribute albums involve musicians with their own personalities capable of interpreting the material in such a way as to bring something new and fresh to the table. That is exactly what Nicholas Payton does with Dear Louis.

And things could have come out quite to the contrary considering that on the surface this has all the trappings of a major label concept album. You know how that works, a rotating cast ...

Nicholas Payton: Dear Louis

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 1, 2001

At the risk of stating the obvious, the best tribute albums involve musicians with their own personalities capable of interpreting the material in such a way as to bring something new and fresh to the table. That is exactly what Nicholas Payton does with Dear Louis. And things could have come out quite to the contrary considering that on the surface this has all the trappings of a major label concept album. You know how that works, a rotating cast ...

Nicholas Payton: Nick@Night

by John Sharpe
March 1, 2000

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. ...

Nicholas Payton: Nick @ Night

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 1, 2000

It's a promising sign to see that the revivalist movement once fronted by Wynton Marsalis has now given way to a manifold and healthier jazz outlook. A bi-product of the shifting mores, trumpeter Nicholas Payton could be considered one of a new breed of renaissance men, ready to carry the music to the next level. Like Marsalis, he hails from New Orleans. Unlike his predecessor, however, he seems to be more interested in moving jazz beyond the repertory or “museum ...

Nicholas Payton: Nick@Night

by Mark Corroto
November 1, 1999

A working band--Joy! It's uncommon today for major label to record their artist with his working band. But, surprisingly, Verve has done just that. Payton's quintet is a heavy swinging bop-oriented ensemble. This recording, like Miles' second great quintet, is more about band than it is about star. Individually its members have released records under their own names, but all are essentially this quintet. Of special note are Tim Warfield's Gentle Warrior and Adonis Rose's Song For Donise both on ...

Joanne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic

by Glenn Astarita
May 1, 1999

One of the great pianist’s and unsung heroes in Modern Jazz returns in incendiary and dynamic fashion. Joanne Brackeen’s Pink Elephant Magic is stunning, articulate and easily one of the premier jazz recordings of 1999.

The title track and opener, “Pink Elephant Magic” is simply an outstanding composition! The complex and seemingly difficult to perform arrangement is multifaceted, cleverly orchestrated and superior in scope and altogether artfully constructed. Brackeen, with the assistance of Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Chris Potter (soprano sax) ...