Steve Turre - Sanyas

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Size: 114,0 MB
Time: 49:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Sanyas (13:18)
2. All the Things You Are (10:21)
3. Wishful Thinking ( 9:15)
4. Mr. Kenyatta ( 9:52)
5. These Foolish Things ( 6:24)

Trombonist and conch shell blower Steve Turre (who appears with a quintet at the Jazz Showcase from June 20 th through the 24 th ) has been called by allmusic.com “perhaps the most visible jazz trombonist of the 20 th and 21 st centuries.” Whether the website is referring to his recognizable facial hair features or his commanding stage presence, Turre has certainly crafted his own niche within the jazz world. Ever since his breakthrough album "Rhythm Within" in 1995, Turre has attracted fans worldwide with his deft mix of Latin and Eastern-infused compositions and interpretations, as well as his steady post bop chops.

But live material wasn’t part of his catalogue as a leader until recently, when "Sanyas" was released on Smoke Sessions Records. On this initial live release, one receives all the representations of Turre’s work, from straight-ahead bop to those exotic takes that flow through one’s soul. As a live recording, "Sanyas" is either too short at just over 49 minutes or refreshingly short, without any fluff or pretentious jamming.

What we get is a tidy and masterful display involving veteran musicians who have played with Turre before and are very comfortable with his music. As on Turre’s last album, "Generations" (Smoke Sessions), the cast of performers includes a septet consisting of Turre, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Ron Blake on tenor sax, Isaiah J. Thompson on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Lenny White on drums.

The album begins with the title cut, a composition first heard when Turre played with a key mentor, the late trumpet hero Woody Shaw. On this effort, the modal jazz stew opens with a horn cacophony that leads to a Williams a la Paul Chambers intro that sets up a repeating piano chord riff from Thompson, over which an Eastern-tinged horn line expresses the song. Turre’s punchy solo, aggressively accompanied by White, is answered by Blake’s deeply-textured response before Turre finishes with a shell coda.

“All the Things You Are” receives a quasi-big band swing treatment, and the horns deliver big time. Blake’s solo is a treat and Payton, who seems to have reclaimed his own bop chops, adds a spirited and crystal clear comment. The group’s interplay here is impressive, bolstered by Williams’ sturdy presence, Thompson’s stately riffing and soloing, and White’s energetic support.

A new ballad, “Wishful Thinking,” demonstrates Turre’s more lyrical side, with a tastefully restrained partner in Payton. Then Lee Morgan’s “Mr. Kenyatta” properly returns the ensemble back into exotic rhythm, with another conch shell solo added.

The CD/digital “bonus track” is “These Foolish Things,” which is rendered in soft swing, with Turre in plunger mode atop Williams’ lilting bass lines; Buster is, as usual, brilliant throughout the album.

"Sanyas" thus ends, leaving this listener with a craving for more. If you hear this album before Steve Turre, the continuously enticing trombonist, visits Chicago, you might start planning a visit to the Showcase to see and hear the consummate pro in action. If you can’t, this relatively brief but well-performed excursion can serve as a replacement for the time being.By Jeff Cebulski
https://www.chicagojazz.com/post/jazz-review-steve-turre-sanyas-by-jeff-cebulski

Personnel: Steve Turre, trombone and conch; Nicholas Payton, trumpet; Ron Blake, tenor saxophone; Isaiah J. Thompson, piano; Buster Williams, bass; Lenny White, drums.

Sanyas

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Ed Wiley, Jr. - Sassy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:45
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Room 608
(5:28)  2. Stretchin' Out
(4:07)  3. Sassy
(6:41)  4. Little Girl Blue
(4:50)  5. Lazarus
(8:29)  6. No Greater Love
(3:08)  7. Max The Maximum
(4:17)  8. Billy Boy
(5:13)  9. Do You Know A Good Thing When You See One?
(4:51) 10. Blues For Duane
(2:20) 11. Here, There And Everywhere
(4:00) 12. Sassy - (Alternate Take)

One of the tracks on Sassy, the Lennon-McCartney tune “Here, There and Everywhere,” says much about Ed Wiley’s fourth release for Swing Records. The album was compiled from three sessions recorded between 1999 and 2000 in Brooklyn, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and mixed in two Washington, D. C., studios. Not surprisingly the results are uneven. To Wiley’s credit, the one constant is his big, soulful Texas tenor. The other constants, despite an occasional clash of styles, include the adventurous minds of trumpeter Nicolas Payton, pianist Sir Roland Hanna and guitarist Mark Whitfield. Compare styles in the two versions of the title tune-a truly sassy line-that Wiley wrote in honor of Sarah Vaughan. B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco propels the first version, while the second, lower and slower, relies on Whitfield’s guitar, but that soul-filled, down-home cushion is missing. Elsewhere, “Room 608,” a tricky bop line by Horace Silver, finds alto player Donald Harrison stealing some of the thunder from Wiley. 

It’s not meant to be a cutting session; Wiley is consistently generous with stretch-out room for his sidemen. “Lazarus” is interesting in that it begins with solos and ends with the written head for the ensemble. Included in four front lines is trombonist Al Grey, but he solos only on “No Greater Love.” Good to hear his Vic Dickenson inspired humor, but also bittersweet: he died before the CD was released. Overall, Wiley can be proud of this release, but he shouldn’t stray too far from his roots. ~ Harvey Siders https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/ed-wiley-jr-sassy/

Personnel: Ed Wiley Jr. - tenor saxophone; Roland Hanna - piano; Paul Bollenback - guitar; Al Grey - trombone; Nicholas Payton - trumpet; Donald Harrison - alto saxophone; Carl Allen - drums; Davey Yarborough - tenor saxophone.

Sassy

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Terri Lyne Carrington - New Standards Vol. 1

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:37
Size: 139,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:27) 1. Wind Flower
(6:01) 2. Circling
(6:46) 3. Uplifted Heart
(4:40) 4. Moments
(4:48) 5. Continental Cliff
(5:50) 6. Throw It Away
(5:28) 7. Respected Destroyer
(4:41) 8. Two Hearts (Lawns)
(4:19) 9. Unchanged
(5:29) 10. Ima
(8:02) 11. Rounds (Live)

Inter-disciplinary artist, activist and educator Terri Lyne Carrington has worked tirelessly over the last decade to advocate for inclusivity and raise the voice of women, trans and non-binary people in jazz.

New Standards, her ambitious new endeavour, was created to shine a light on women composers in historic new ways. New Standards will arrive this fall in the form of a groundbreaking lead sheet book of jazz compositions dedicated entirely to women composers, a newly recorded album of 11 selections from the songbook featuring an all-star band and superb line-up of special guests, and a dynamic multi-media exhibition at Detroit’s Carr Center.

On September 16th Carrington will release "new STANDARDS vol. 1" on the relaunched Candid Records label, featuring recordings of 11 selections from the New Standards lead sheets book (see below for more info).

Carrington on drums is joined by a core band of Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar and co-producer) and welcomes special guests Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos and Somi. The selections include harpist Brandee Younger’s 'Respected Destroyer,' clarinetist Anat Cohen’s 'Ima,' vocalist Abbey Lincoln’s 'Throw It Away'as well as pieces by Gretchen Parlato, Carla Bley and more. The recordings - which range from vocal ballads to contemporary creative music are inspired and adventurous and explore the limitless universe of jazz.https://www.frontview-magazine.be/en/news/terri-lyne-carrington-to-release-album-new-standards-vol-1-shining-bright-light-on-women

New Standards Vol. 1

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Orrin Evans - The Red Door

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:04) 1. Red Door
(7:11) 2. Weezy
(7:35) 3. Phoebe's Stroll
(9:15) 4. The Good Life
(4:36) 5. Big Small
(3:58) 6. Dexter's Tune
(4:12) 7. Amazing Grace
(5:15) 8. Feed the Fire
(4:25) 9. All the Things You Are
(2:43) 10. Smoke Rings
(5:22) 11. They Won't Go When I Go
(3:39) 12. I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before

A most generous craftsman, composer and bandleader, pianist Orrin Evans never fails to bring out the best of whoever he chooses to create with. The Red Door is gratefully, and gracefully, no exception to that rule.

Whatever musical setting Evans chooses to practice his sinewy, r'n'b inflected post-bop insideman, big band, trio, quartet, duo, whatever a sweet animation propels his music and buoys the players gathered around him. In this case the two core units feature bass legend Buster Williams, drummer Gene Jackson, the late Wallace Roney on trumpet and fellow Philadelphian, tenor legend Larry McKenna. The other quintet features trumpeter Nicholas Payton, saxophonist/flutist Gary Thomas, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

Just as it was a standout track on his second recording with the The Bad Plus, 2019's canny and expressive Activate Infinity (Edition Records), the lead-off title track carousels into consciousness with a brassy, staccato effervescence and witticism courtesy of Payton and Thomas, that Hurst, Evans and Smith quickly wrest control from, deconstruct, then return sprightly to the dance. As Immanuel Wilkins' saxophone did throughout Evan's previous highlight reel, 2021's The Magic of Now (Smoke Sessions Records) Thomas' flute becomes the voice of the circuitous and bluesy "Weezy."

But it may well be "Phoebe's Stroll" that we remember The Red Door for in the years ahead. A jaunty, trio workout of everything that makes Evans tick his quotable, neo-pop melodicism, his patient way with time, his keen, articulate framing and sense of communal dance all in one seven plus minute slice of perfection. It's a grand gesture and sure to be a setlist perennial.

Geri Allen's antic "Feed the Fire" gets the full-on quintet treatment as Thomas and Payton play cat and mouse around Smith and Hurst's elusive current and Evans' pronounced freneticism. Ditto "Smoke Rings." With Buster Williams providing the smooth, second set of the night groove, McKenna, uncurls an entrancing, deep blue solo that defines "The Good Life." Ever a shaman of the collective, Evans brings onboard Jazzmeia Horn who, as has become custom, delivers a slyly impassioned reading of Bill McHenry's feminine forward lyric for Evans' "Big Small," which originally appeared sans lyrics on Flip the Script (Posi-Tone Records, 2012)

A substantive tribute to those whom Evans claims has gotten him to the pinnacle he inhabits right now and to those who will help him carry it forward, (including Sy Smith and Alita Moses, The Red Door is a masterful high point in a career that continues to climb. By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-red-door-orrin-evans-smoke-sessions-records__14893

Personnel: Orrin Evans: piano; Robert Hurst: bass; Marvin "Smitty" Smith: drums; Gary Thomas: saxophone; Nicholas Payton: trumpet.

Additional Instrumentation: Nicholas Payton: trumpet (1, 2, 5, 10); Gary Thomas: tenor sax (1, 5, 10) flute (2); Robert Hurst: bass (1-3, 5-8, 10, 12); Marvin “Smitty” Smith: drums (1-3, 5-8, 10, 12); Wallace Roney: trumpet (9); Larry McKenna: tenor sax (4); Buster Williams: bass (4, 9); Jazzmela Horn: vocal (5); Sy Smith: vocal (7); Alita Moses: vocal (11).

The Red Door

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Tim Warfield - Jazz Is ...

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:13
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:55)  1. Silence - The Angels Are Crying
( 8:14)  2. Origins
(10:24)  3. My Shining Hour
( 9:32)  4. The Magic Bag
( 8:43)  5. Tune # 2
(10:28)  6. My Old Country
(10:54)  7. Until Further Notice

Although it exists solely for the purposes of recordings and the occasional live gig, Tim Warfield’s quintet (Warfield- tenor saxophone; Nicholas Payton- trumpet; Cyrus Chestnut- piano; Tarus Mateen- bass; Clarence Penn- drums) has been a marvel to hear over the course of four albums dating back to the critically acclaimed A Cool Blue from 1995. They say the highest compliment that can be paid a jazz artist is the attainment of an individual voice, and in this regard Warfield stands head and shoulders above many of his peers. With a breathy and soulful timbre, his tenor voice is immediately identifiable; his compositions seek to explore a vociferous and spiritual platform that harkens back to the days of Coltrane. Unfolding in the way that a fine novel reveals itself over the course of many chapters, “Silence- The Angels Are Crying” opens with a whisper before unleashing several solo segments taken at a headier tempo. With a ‘60s Milesian flair, “Origins” possesses a catchy stop-and-go melody and a relaxed gait that allows for several extended forays. By contrast, “My Shinning Hour” is almost all Warfield and a tour-de-force it is, filled with exciting climaxes and those upper register ‘cries’ that give the saxophonist his emotional base. With an opening melody that very briefly recalls “Star Eyes,” Warfield’s “Tune #2” moves at a relaxed pace and lets Payton bask in the limelight for awhile. Just listen to the way the trumpeter paces himself and uses space to give a lesson in improvisation at the highest pinnacle. 

Then Warfield enters with that characteristic swagger and a velvet cushion provided by Mateen and Penn. Rounding things out are “The Old Country,” which finds vibe man Stefon Harris in Hutcherson mode during a well-crafted spot; and “Until Further Notice,” another wonder of shifting tempos and a perfect forum for the multifaceted brilliance of Clarence Penn. At its best, this latest installment in the saga of the Tim Warfield group is yet another lesson in the integrity and complexity that can be achieved with working groups who clearly understand the foundations of jazz. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-is-tim-warfield-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Tim Warfield (tenor sax), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Stefon Harris (vibes), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Tarus Mateen (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

Jazz Is ...

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Benito Gonzalez - Sing to the World

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:07
Size: 182,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:56) 1. Sounds of Freedom
( 9:01) 2. Views of the Blues
( 6:34) 3. Father
( 9:19) 4. Offering
(10:32) 5. Visionary
( 5:48) 6. Smile
( 9:17) 7. Sing to the World
( 8:22) 8. 412
( 7:35) 9. Flatbush Avenue
( 7:39) 10. Colors

Unbridled rhythmic fury fueled by a rich harmonic underbelly is the essence of Sing To The World. Pianist Benito Gonzalez has once again assembled a vibrant cast that flourishes on ten original creations. Inventive and energetic, the ensemble gels in the moment and establishes interplay with rich and intelligent conversation. The depth and articulation comes as no surprise, with reference to his previous works as a leader and the seven years Gonzalez spent as a member of Kenny Garrett's band.

Powerhouse bassist Christian McBride aligned with alternately Jeff Tain Watts and Sasha Mashin to anchor and veraciously drive a rhythm section which was both the core and the springboard for Gonzalez, as well as trumpeter Nicholas Payton. Together they built a foundation of Afro-Latin sounds that echoed the ancestral spirits and authentic African dance beats. Playing modern jazz vibes over and within these torrid and variant beats created a fresh and sophisticated fusion sound of its own.

While most of the new material was written by Gonzalez, there are two notable exceptions. The great trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Gonzalez often used to play together and developed a close relationship, both musically and personally. Hargrove wrote the tune "Father" which characterized that bond. They played it often together, always refining it. But the heartfelt melody was never recorded. Until now. "412" is a Watts composition. Watts connected with Gonzalez years ago when he appreciated the young pianist's spirit and respect for the notes. He sat down at the piano one day and showed or taught Gonzalez the melody. Like "Father" it was played a lot but never recorded. The tunes bring a sentimentality which blends well and creates a well sequenced directional change of pace from the mostly fiery tone of Gonzalez's fifth record as a leader.

While Gonzalez is relentlessly engaging throughout, his assault on his keys in no way interferes with his improvisational interface with his bandmates. These cats are very much paying attention to each other and responding in kind. A grand master of the bass, McBride leads and steadies a precise yet ultimately daring rhythm section which Gonzalez gloriously rides like a big kahuna at Big Sur. The robust energy and fine tuned skill sets of the members of the ensemble collectively elevated everyone to the top of their instrumental and conversational game. There is much to be said, much to be heard, and an abundance of joy along the way.By Jim Worsley
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sing-to-the-world-benito-gonzalez-rainy-days-records

Personnel: Benito Gonzalez: piano; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Josh Evans: trumpet; Christian McBride: bass; Essiet Essiet: bass; Sasha Mashin: drums; Jeff Tain Watts: drums; Makar Kashitsyn: saxophone.

Sing to the World

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Nicholas Payton - The Couch Sessions

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:11
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:16) 1. Feed the Fire
(5:05) 2. Bust-a-Move
(6:38) 3. Blossom
(5:31) 4. Pinocchio
(3:15) 5. His Name is Lenny
(6:47) 6. Bleek's Blues
(2:18) 7. Along Came Betty
(3:55) 8. Watch It
(7:30) 9. Fall
(6:36) 10. Christina
(7:06) 11. The Sorcerer
(6:54) 12. Jazz is a Four-Letter Word
(4:13) 13. From a Flicker to a Flame...

Music has the power to heal, a fact that has never been as relevant as it has over the challenging last few years. On his captivating album, THE COUCH SESSIONS, the brilliant multi-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Payton provides a session of musical therapy that draws on the compositions and words of some of the music’s most visionary artists.

The latest in a series that he has recorded pairing him with dream rhythm sections, Payton is joined by bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, who not only have forged one of the most distinctive rhythm tandems in recent decades but have also worked with many of the legendary artists to whom this album is dedicated.

“I decided to use Buster and Lenny for their shared history,” Payton says, “not only working with each other but also with my favorite artist ever – Miles Davis. There are a lot of connections between the artists on the album and the lineages that they either came out of or were integral in starting. Working with Buster and Lenny together was a bucket list item for me.”

Throughout The Couch Sessions, Nicholas Payton and his stellar trio play therapist to listeners in need of some vital musical counseling. “In these uncertain new times, the importance of music and the arts has come even more to the forefront,” he says. “With this album, I wanted to speak to music as a healing force, an essential source of light in our lives.”

The Couch Sessions

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Al Foster - Reflections

Styles: Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:56
Size: 156,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:20) 1. T.S. Monk
(5:04) 2. Pent-Up House
(7:17) 3. Open Plans
(6:23) 4. Blues on the Corner
(5:32) 5. Anastasia
(8:21) 6. Six
(5:11) 7. Punjab
(6:56) 8. Beat
(4:51) 9. Alone and I
(5:36) 10. Half Nelson
(6:18) 11. Monk's Bossa

On Reflections, Foster revisits the work of several of those peers alongside an inspiring quintet of all-stars: Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, Kevin Hays, and Vicente Archer.

Throughout the session he propels this supremely talented unit through fresh, vital treatments of well-known and less-traveled numbers by iconic legends Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, and McCoy Tyner, all of whom regarded Foster as their first-call drummer for long portions of his celebrated career at times competing for his services. Band members Payton, Potter, and Hays each contribute a tune apiece, while Foster penned three well-wrought songs, including two homages to Thelonious Monk that bookend the program.

It’s hard to overstate Foster’s contribution to the musical production of the aforementioned giants over his 60 years as a professional. But, as much as Foster likes to wax nostalgic about the past, it’s also evident on every note of this 68-minute gem that he’s fully committed to living in the moment and playing in the here and now. This follow-up to his well-received 2019 Smoke Sessions debut, INSPIRATIONS & DEDICATIONS, is Foster’s fifth leader recording and, as even the notoriously self-critical drummer surprisingly says, “It is my best record Yet." https://jazzbluesnews.com/2022/08/31/cd-review-al-foster-reflections-2022-video-cd-cover/

Personnel: Al Foster – drums; Nicholas Payton – trumpet; Chris Potter – tenor and soprano saxophone; Kevin Hays – piano and Fender Rhodes; Vicente Archer – bass

Reflections

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Ray Brown - Some Of My Best Friends Are ... The Trumpet Players

Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:05
Size: 142,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:02) 1. Roy Hargrove / Our Delight
(6:29) 2. Jon Faddis / Bag's Groove
(5:49) 3. James Morrison / I Thought About You
(4:07) 4. Terence Blanchard/I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(5:48) 5. Nicholas Payton / Violets for Your Furs
(3:01) 6. Clark Terry / Itty Bitty Blues
(4:28) 7. Roy Hargrove / Stairway To The Stars
(5:06) 8. Jon Faddis / Original Jones
(4:50) 9. James Morrison / When You Go
(4:21) 10. Nicholas Payton / The Kicker
(5:00) 11. Clark Terry / Clark's Tune (Legacy)
(7:57) 12. Terence Blanchard / Goodbye

In the latest edition of his "Some Of My Best Friends Are..." series, Ray Brown honors the trumpet players as they honor him. Having already musically expressed his friendship with singers, pianists and saxophonists, Brown's next group of honorees will include...trombonists? Drummers? Guitarists? The interesting aspect of Some Of My Best Friends Are...The Trumpet Players is the influence of Dizzy Gillespie. An inspiration to Brown, who first received recognition in Dizzy's group, as well as to jazz trumpeters everywhere, Dizzy's spirit infuses especially the Nicholas Payton, Jon Faddis and Roy Hargrove tracks.

Deeply indebted to Dizzy for spiritual as well as technical guidance, Faddis' work on "Original Jones" is the most obviously referential. As a result, it also is the most thrilling trumpet work, commanding the instrument's extreme upper register and negotiating intervallic leaps with ease. James Morrison, on the other hand, concentrates on a rounder tone that expresses the melodic intent of the tunes, particularly Brown's composition, "When You Go." Roy Hargrove introduces Some Of My Best Friends Are...The Trumpet Players with a confident bop sensibility on "Our Delight," combining a concise voice and clarity of thought.

Nicholas Payton proves that he is moving more and more away toward explorative work on Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," as he did recently on Steve Wilson's CD. Balancing aggressive work with a ballad, as do all of the other trumpeters on their two tunes apiece, Payton plaintively sings through his horn on "Violets For Your Furs," wavering a slight vibrato on the long tones, buzzing ever-so-perceptively on lower notes to balance the sweetness of his sound in the middle register.Terence Blanchard's ballad turns out to be Tadd Dameron's "Goodbye," the famous Benny Goodman closer, while in contrast Blanchard enlivens "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" at greater than twice the tempo of the famous Dorsey version.

And then there's Clark Terry. Being himself. Trading horns on "Clark's Tune." Creating an inimitable opening chorus, and well as solos, on Brown's "Itty Bitty Blues" with the apparent ease of a 30-year-old, although Terry will be 80 years young in two more months. Once again, Ray Brown has assembled a stellar trio. Geoff Keezer remains within the groove of the album, although his recent Zero One CD proves that he can be explorative and unconventional when he leaves the accompanist's role. And drummer Karriem Riggins propels the group with colors and drive without overpowering, as he does to animate Faddis' work on "Original Jones."

Then there's Ray Brown, sturdy and inspirational, establishing the mournful languor of "Bag's Groove" in tribute to Brown's and Faddis' friend, Milt Jackson. Conversing with Faddis, Brown responds to Faddis' groove with elaboration and eloquence. While it seems that Ray Brown makes friends wherever he goes, as his "Friends" albums prove, his circle of friends has widened to encompass his listeners, who no doubt will respond with affection to Some Of My Best Friends Are...The Trumpet Players , yet another estimable album in Brown's estimable series.~AAJ Staffhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/some-of-my-best-friends-arethe-trumpet-players-ray-brown-telarc-records-review-by-aaj-staff

Personnel: Ray Brown, bass; Geoff Keezer, piano; Karriem Riggins, drums; Terence Blanchard, Jon Faddis, Roy Hargrove, James Morrison, Nicholas Payton, Clark Terry, trumpet

Some Of My Best Friends Are ... The Trumpet Players

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Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:17
Size: 142.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:53] 1. How Deep Is The Ocean
[3:35] 2. Jeepers Creepers
[8:40] 3. Stardust
[3:21] 4. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blue
[2:21] 5. Dinah
[4:45] 6. Save It Pretty Mama
[3:26] 7. Do You Believe In Love At Sigh
[3:58] 8. Jada
[4:20] 9. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:16] 10. Maybe
[4:42] 11. Black And Blue
[6:02] 12. Out Of Nowhere
[4:53] 13. She's Funny That Way
[2:59] 14. The World Is Waiting For The S

This matchup between trumpeters Doc Cheatham (91 at the time) and Nicholas Payton (just 23) is quite logical and delightful. Cheatham, one of the few survivors of the 1920s, was still in remarkably fine form, while Payton (a flexible New Orleans player capable of ranging from Dixieland to Freddie Hubbard) is both respectful and inspiring. With Doc contributing occasional vocals and the settings ranging from a quartet to an octet with clarinetist Jack Maheu and pianist Butch Thompson, the brassmen explore a variety of 1920s and '30s standards, including a couple of obscurities ("Do You Believe in Love at Sight?" and "Maybe"). The interplay between the co-leaders, the many subtle tributes to Louis Armstrong, and the consistent enthusiasm of this swinging set make this a historic success and a very enjoyable outing. ~Scott Yanow

Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton

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Nicholas Payton - Smoke Sessions

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:23
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:43) 1. Hangin' and a Jivin'
(7:03) 2. Big George
(6:48) 3. Levin's Lope
(6:51) 4. No Lonely Nights
(6:30) 5. Lullaby for a Lamppost (for Danny Barker), Pt. 1
(6:23) 6. Lullaby for a Lamppost (for Danny Barker), Pt. 2
(4:35) 7. Q for Quincy Jones
(5:29) 8. Gold Dust Black Magic
(6:39) 9. Turn-a-Ron
(9:19) 10. Toys

Nicholas Payton has a new project called Smoke Sessions. The album has its roots in Payton’s love of Miles Davis’ 1966 album Four & More. Payton has convened two legendary musicians who played with Davis on that album, bassist Ron Carter and special guest saxophonist George Coleman. He asked Coleman to contribute a pair of tunes. (A third contributor to Four & More, pianist Herbie Hancock, is represented by the composition “Toys).” Rounding out the quartet is drummer Karriem Riggins with Payton filling the keyboard chair and playing the trumpet. Payton explains, “Miles Davis’ ‘Four’ & More was the album that really inspired me to take up music seriously,” Payton explains. “Ever since then, Ron Carter has been an idol and a favorite musician of mine. As long as I’ve been leading bands, I’ve patterned my choice of bassists by the metric of how much Ron they have in their playing. When I’ve looked for pianists in my band over the years, it’s often predicated on how much Herbie they have in their sound. So, this album is really a dream come true for me.”

“Hangin’ and a Jinvin’” is our first taste of the project and instantly establishes that Payton will not preset a straight-ahead album. Instead, he keeps the feels contemporary with a blend of swing, funk, soul, and hip-hop influences. With Riggins’ drum fluidity and Carter’s rock-solid time feel on the bass, this is brought to life. Payton starts on the Fender Rhodes. Playing with tiny motifs and shifting chords, one can hear Carter’s basslines following wherever Payton may lead. Payton eventually switches to the trumpet, and that is when things really heat up. Payton and Carter have strong communication with each other, and it is a delight to hear. Carter explains, “Listen to him play trumpet. He’s listening to my response to what he does if the trumpet players of today want to try to put him in a place, he should be up there because he listens to what the bass player contributes to his solo.”

“Big George” is the first track on which saxophonist George Colman appears, “Turn-a-Ron” is Coleman’s second guest spot; both are excellent. Speaking of “Big George,” Payton says, “I feel like George didn’t get as much credit as he deserved for being a part of Miles’s experimentations in alternate changes and chord progressions,” Payton says. “That’s why the songs on the album with George tend to be basically four-bar vamps – those four-bar turnarounds and what they would do with them were so influential in changing the landscape of how musicians play chord changes. It was important to me to get into that stuff that they did back in the 60s. George being there was like the cherry on top.” “Big George” is a medium groove that does just that, explores the harmonic possibilities of a simple set of changes between the big ears of this jaunty ensemble. Payton stays on the Rhodes for this one and lets Carter and Colman take the lead.

Smoke Sessions allows Payton to engage with two icons of jazz, Ron Carter and George Colman. The result is the multi-instrumentalist brings his trademark approach of contemporary styles to the elegance and time-honored tradition that these two giants represent. The elastic groove of Payton’s Fender Rhodes and trumpet playing is in full force here. Payton concludes, was “like a pinch-myself moment… I used to pretend I was playing with [these musicians] when I was a child, and now it’s happening. I literally felt like I was walking on air. To have someone I’ve listened to on record and admired from afar actually be a part of something that I created was just beyond my wildest imagination. I remained in a dream state for a couple of months afterward".~Icrom Bigrad https://jazzsensibilities.com/reviews/nicholas-payton/

Personnel: Nicholas Payton, trumpet, Fender Rhodes; Ron Carter, bass; Karriem Riggin, drums; Guest: George Coleman, tenor saxophone

Smoke Sessions

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Azar Lawrence - The Seeker

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:12
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:27)  1. Gandhi
( 7:45)  2. Lost Tribes Of Lemuria
(12:04)  3. The Seeker
( 9:21)  4. One More Time
( 5:57)  5. Rain Ballad
(10:24)  6. Spirit Night
( 7:12)  7. Venus Rising

Azar Lawrence is fulfilling his musical quest with a most impressive live recording!  Sunnyside Records will drop an incredible live set recorded at the Jazz Standard. This all star collective features saxophonist Azar Lawrence, trumpet great Nicholas Payton, and a critically acclaimed rhythm section of Benito Gonzalez on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass and the mighty Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. The Seeker pays homage to those harmonic rebels that have forged their own path and this created and elevated the form and function of the improvisational music we have come to know as jazz. For the uninitiated, Lawrence has been cutting his own lyrical trail for the last four decades and has played with such luminaries as Freddie Hubbard and Earth Wind & Fire. 

The original compositions from Lawrence are diverse and visionary in their lyrical thought. Nicholas Payton shares the front line with Lawrence due largely in part to his exceptional conceptual feeling of just where Lawrence was heading on this most unique journey. Picking a highlight or two would be equivalent to asking a parent to pick their favorite child but I'll give it a whirl with "Rain Ballad" and "Spirit Night" topping the list. Both compositions are compelling lush ballad oriented tunes with a zen like serenity move slowly beneath the surface. Both tunes allow for dynamic interplay within the rhythm section with Essiet's bowed bass and Watts finesse on "Rain Ballad" while Gonzalez shines on "Spirit Night." The band finds their groove on the Gonzalez tune "One More Time" with a spirited exchange between Lawrence, Payton and of course Gonzalez.  Azar Lawrence may be a searching artist, the good artists are. The search for the listener can continue with one of the better live sets you will hear. Virtually flawless on all levels. http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/06/azar-lawrence-seeker-sunnyside-2014.html

Personnel: Azar Lawrence (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Benito Gonzalez (piano); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).

The Seeker

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Nicholas Payton - Textures

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:59
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Smooth
(5:09)  2. Sticky
(4:14)  3. Silky
(6:33)  4. Fuzzy
(5:16)  5. Hard
(4:04)  6. Wet
(3:56)  7. Rough
(2:56)  8. Greasy
(6:52)  9. Soft

All great art has a rhythm. Movement. A Pulse. Painting, Music, Dance, Martial Arts, Architecture, Sports. They all have, at their core, a rhythmic undertow. The strokes of a paint brush have a rhythm. They create patterns, lines, curves, shapes, forms, and ultimately a rhythmic flow. They create movement. Their movement create a feeling. Colors also create a rhythm. They make your eyes move from one component to another. They allow your mind to travel. To think. Ultimately a story is told. A feeling is created. A visual beat penetrates one’s mind and soul.What happens when master artist Nicholas Payton is a part of the artistic process of painter Anastasia Pelias? Textures is born. As Nicholas told me, “They are off the cuff tracks done in real time with an artist who paints.”  Nicholas takes the strokes of Anastasia’s brush and mirrors them with a beat. The visual beat becomes an aural beat. A pulse. A movement. The colors become harmonies. The strokes become rhythmic shifts. The two become synonymous with each other. As a listener, you find your own meaning. Every time you listen, a new layer of the story is unveiled. You start to get lost in the music. Have you ever just sat and watched the ocean? At first you see the sand, beach, and waves. Then, as your mind drifts, you start to see beyond the ocean.  You think about the depth of the ocean and its beauty. As the waves crash, one also begins to think of the past, present and future. No wave crashes the same place, or way, twice, yet each is perfect. Each has been here before, but returns in a whole new way.  It is brought to shore as it should.

It flows perfectly, yet is never quite predictable. Each wave has its own direction, and its own identity. Textures does the same. You look out into the horizon and see where the sky meets the water. You begin to reflect on the beauty in the world. This is Textures. Movement of a rhythmic undertow (ocean/waves), with harmony and colors on top (the sky and world). Textures is a master work of art. Created by a master artist. In this case Nicholas Payton uses an instrument he has yet to use on record. As he told me “I set up my keyboard and laptop and Anastasia has a blank canvas and we create a new work in real time.” Nicholas’ instrument here may appear to be a keyboard and laptop at first. But ultimately, his instrument is his mind and soul. Textures flows with perfect clarity, yet takes direction in ways one would not expect. The harmonies take shape in only the way Nicholas’ mind can.  The three basic elements of the mind intellect, feeling, and will are displayed as Nicholas searches from within, and let’s the music pour out of his body, and into our ears.  But once it hits our ears, we too, need to let it penetrate our hearts and soul, so that we can find ourselves. We can create our own work of art in our own mind. Textures exudes compassion. It is radiating with boundless light and compassion. It makes you reflect within to find peace and love. Begin to let the music enter your body. It is music to relax and think to, music to reflect on, and music to dance to. Textures, like an any great art, is drenched with rhythm. It has movement. A Pulse. Listen, as I did, over and over again. Find new meaning each time you listen. Find your own rhythm. https://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2016/06/26/textures/

Textures

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Jimmy Smith - Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:02)  1. Stolen Moments
(5:31)  2. You Better Go Now
(8:13)  3. Angel Eyes
(4:17)  4. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
(5:54)  5. Slow Freight
(6:39)  6. Tenderly
(6:53)  7. Days Of Wine And Roses
(6:17)  8. L'il Darlin'
(4:18)  9. What A Wonderful World

A follow-up to the mostly heated performances of Damn!, this CD features organist Jimmy Smith sticking to ballads and slower material. There is a sextet rendition of "Stolen Moments" (with both Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton on trumpets); duets with both trumpeters, bassist Christian McBride, and guitarist Mark Whitfield; a trio; a quartet; and solo organ renditions of "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" and "What a Wonderful World." Despite the constant changing of instrumentation, the results (although pleasant) are uneventful and somewhat predictable. Good for late-night background music rather than for close listening. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/angel-eyes-mw0000613422

Personnel:Jimmy Smith – organ, arranger; Roy Hargrove – flugelhorn, trumpet; Nicholas Payton – trumpet; Mark Whitfield – guitar; Christian McBride – double bass; Damon Krukowski – drums, percussion; Gregory Hutchinson – drums

Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams

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Carl Allen & Manhattan Projects - The Dark Side Of Dewey

Styles: Post Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:51
Size: 119,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Opening Statement
(7:02)  2. All Blues
(7:02)  3. My Funny Valentine
(7:03)  4. Three For Rhonda
(5:23)  5. Mr. Wizard
(6:33)  6. Dear Old Stockholm
(6:31)  7. Just Squeeze Me
(7:33)  8. The Dark Side Of Dewey

Despite the inclusion of Carl Allen's moody title cut, this tribute to Miles Davis is mostly pretty happy, with four selections taken from Davis' repertoire of the 1950s and early '60s ("All Blues," "My Funny Valentine," "Dear Old Stockholm," and "Just Squeeze Me") plus a few complementary originals by bandmembers. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton (even if he does not sound like Davis) and altoist Vincent Herring make for a potent team, while pianist Mulgrew Miller and bassist Dwayne Burno join Allen in keeping the music moving. No surprises occur, but there are plenty of fine solos throughout this modern mainstream set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dark-side-of-dewey-mw0000181090

Personnel:  Drums – Carl Allen; Alto Saxophone – Vincent Herring; Bass – Dwayne Burno; Piano – Mulgrew Miller; Trumpet – Nicholas Payton

The Dark Side Of Dewey

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Eric Alexander - Summit Meeting

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:43
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:01)  1. Summit Meeting
(7:41)  2. The Sweetest Sounds
(8:48)  3. There But For The Grace Of...
(7:12)  4. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do
(7:58)  5. A House Is Not A Home
(6:37)  6. This Girl's In Love With You
(5:29)  7. Something's Gotta Give
(7:09)  8. Andre's Turn
(7:45)  9. After The Rain

A direct descendent of competitive, no nonsense titans such as Sonny Stitt and George Coleman, Eric Alexander plays the horn with a decidedly assertive temperament, as if he always has something to prove. Summit Meeting, his fourth release for Milestone, is arguably the tenor saxophonist’s finest recording as a leader in a prolific, decade-long career. No longer a series of brilliantly executed segments, his solos flow logically from beginning to end, exhibiting calculation and a quickness of mind that match his fervor. For example, the seven choruses Alexander takes on the brisk title cut are rife with coherent, well-developed ideas, yet they retain the excitement of his earlier work. Other signs of Alexander’s continued development include curbing a tendency to race through improvisations on ballads, and occasionally displaying a willingness to take things a little easier. He plays the melody of “I Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do” with reverence. During the solo that follows, several strings of sixteenth and thirty-second note runs are not overdone, thereby adding a playful dimension to the music’s reflective mood. Alexander evinces uncharacteristic restraint on an agreeably swinging treatment of Bacharach and David’s “This Girl’s In Love With You.” He teasingly gives off signs of erupting only to pull back, and even without the fireworks makes a compelling statement. All of this evidence of Alexander’s maturation takes place in the company of players who’ve been involved in various projects with him since the early 1990s: pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. (Trumpeter Nicholas Payton plays on four of the nine tracks.) The record is chock-full of “Mabern moments.” During a brief solo on an up-tempo “A House Is Not A Home” he gleefully marches with his left hand and dances with the right. His accompaniment on the same track is a majestic wall of sound that inspires some of the tenor saxophonist’s freest playing of the set. When Alexander moves so fast that he nearly loses control in the middle of a burning “Something’s Gotta Give,” Mabern keeps him rooted by banging out a sequence of jocose, riff-like chords. ~ David A.Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/summit-meeting-eric-alexander-fantasy-jazz-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel: Eric Alexander--tenor saxophone; Nicholas Payton--trumpet and flugelhorn; Harold Mabern--piano; John Webber--bass; Joe Farnsworth--drums.

Summit Meeting

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Nicholas Payton - #BAM: Live At Bohemian Caverns

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:35
Size: 182,3 MB
Art: Front

(17:57)  1. The Backward Step
(11:19)  2. Drad Dog
(13:58)  3. Catlett Out Of The Bag
( 3:54)  4. Pannonica
(13:59)  5. The African Tinge
( 2:31)  6. Return Of The African Tinge
(15:54)  7. Frankie And Johnny

Nicholas Payton, now 40, has been on the short list of major trumpet players for half his life. In 2011, he achieved an incremental 15 minutes of fame when he publicly renounced the word “jazz,” proclaimed it “an oppressive colonialist slave term” and embraced “Black American Music” (“BAM”) as his preferred alternative. Even those who did not find Payton’s self-imposed semantic crisis particularly interesting or relevant or well argued will not be able to approach his new album outside the context of the “‘BAM’ controversy.” Yet what is most remarkable about this live trio recording is how conventional and even bland it is. Payton has spoken of “launching a movement,” but there is nothing very ambitious here, let alone revolutionary. He often plays trumpet and Fender Rhodes simultaneously, one hand for each. On the opener, “The Backward Step,” the Rhodes is mere sweetening, a pleasant but static overlay. On “Catlett Out of the Bag,” a feature for drummer Lenny White and bassist Vicente Archer, the Rhodes grooves are so predictable they wouldn’t challenge a small-town bar band. Perhaps this is Payton’s point. His “BAM” concept attempts to erase distinctions between categories like R&B, soul, hip-hop and jazz. On trumpet, he is often given to melodramatic, flamboyant fusillades of notes disembodied from the whole (“The African Tinge”), or spare, repetitive lines, presumably intended as suspenseful and haunting, but not. His solos consist of ideas that sound like gestures for effect rather than manifestations of inner necessity. The ideas usually sound familiar, and their technical execution is sometimes more casual than precise. It is possible that no respected improvising musician has ever ended an album with 16 minutes as inconsequential, as full of stock licks and devices in the public domain, as “Frankie and Johnny.” Dumbed-down jazz by any name does not a revolution make. ~ Thomas Conrad https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/bam-live-at-bohemian-caverns-nicholas-payton/

Personnel:  Trumpet – Nicholas Payton; Bass – Vicente Archer; Drums – Lenny White

#BAM: Live At Bohemian Caverns

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Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Mark Whitfield - Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock

Styles: Trumpet And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 153,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Fingerpainting
(4:28)  2. Driftin'
(5:03)  3. Chameleon
(4:43)  4. Tell Me a Bedtime Story
(3:35)  5. The Eye of the Hurricane
(5:33)  6. The Kiss
(6:33)  7. Speak Like a Child
(4:42)  8. The Sorcerer
(3:53)  9. Dolphin Dance
(4:08) 10. Chan's Song
(4:00) 11. One Finger Snap
(3:54) 12. Sly
(5:56) 13. Oliloqui Valley
(4:03) 14. Jane's Theme

This is a rather unusual tribute to Herbie Hancock on a couple different levels. There is no piano on the date, so obviously no one is heard trying to sound like Hancock; the intimate all-star trio (bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and guitarist Mark Whitfield) avoids such typical Hancock hits as "Watermelon Man" and "Maiden Voyage," and several of the songs are real obscurities. The 14 Hancock compositions date from 1962-79, with one tune from 1985, so they do not cover his later output. Among the lesser-known tunes are the title track (first played by V.S.O.P.), "Sly" (from the Headhunters LP), and two melodies taken from the 1965 soundtrack of Blow-Up. Several of the songs (most notably "Driftin'") deserve to be revived more widely. Payton, whose versatility has in the past allowed him to emulate both Louis Armstrong and Freddie Hubbard with equal skill, here generally plays like himself, a Young Lion with a warm tone and an inventive style. Whitfield holds the group together, whether playing straight-ahead or adding a bit of funk to "Chameleon" and "Sly." McBride shows throughout why he is rightfully considered a young giant. Due to the many unfamiliar themes and offbeat instrumentation (which includes a duet apiece featuring each of the three possible combinations), this is a CD that takes a few listens to fully appreciate, but it is worth the effort. An underrated gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fingerpainting-the-music-of-herbie-hancock-mw0000027443

Personnel:  Acoustic Guitar – Mark Whitfield (tracks: 7, 14); Bass – Christian McBride (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 14); Electric Guitar – Mark Whitfield (tracks: 1 to 6, 8, 10 to 13); Flugelhorn – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 7, 10, 14); Trumpet – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 to 13)

Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock

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Dianne Reeves - A Little Moonlight

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:55
Size: 145,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Loads Of Love
(5:20)  2. I Concentrate On You
(5:12)  3. Reflections
(6:52)  4. Skylark
(6:21)  5. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(4:46)  6. Darn That Dream
(5:58)  7. I'm All Smiles
(5:35)  8. Lullaby Of Broadway
(7:25)  9. You Go To My Head
(4:35) 10. We'll Be Together Again
(6:23) 11. Make Sure You're Sure

With the meteoric success of Norah Jones' debut in the early 2000s, the message was clear: there's a real hunger for straightforward tunes with minimal froufrou. Jones' producer, Arif Mardin, has assembled another likely hit with A Little Moonlight, a collection of appealing standards. Empathically supported by Dianne Reeves' working trio, every track showcases her exceptionally rich and lovely instrument. Although longterm fans may consider her a bit subdued, her soulfulness is very much in evidence, and her voice, as always, goes down like mulled wine. There are samples of her trademark whimsical scatting, especially on the charming opener, "Loads of Love," "I'm All Smiles," and the grin-inducing "What a Little Moonlight Can Do." "I'm All Smiles" features a fine solo by the excellent pianist Peter Martin, who, like Ruben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson, is terrific throughout. Peaks include two delicious duos with guest Romero Lubambo, the elegant Brazilian guitarist who's been on her last four albums: the airy "I Concentrate on You" and the yearning "Darn That Dream." Reeves' inspired pairing with Nicholas Payton on "You Go to My Head" has the intimate feel of closing time at a jazz club: the patrons are gone, the chairs are stacked on the tables, but the musicians still have something urgent and deeply personal to say. 

Even when the trio joins in, the after-hours atmosphere endures, with Payton scrolling around Reeves' lines and taking a magnificently misty solo. In "We'll Be Together Again," Reeves evokes the ghost of Sarah Vaughan another purely musical singer gifted with a flexible, velvety voice and soulful, natural phrasing. Double Grammy-winner Reeves had long been a genre-buster, so this straight-ahead album is a precedent for her; accessible and thoroughly enjoyable, it will undoubtedly gain her a whole new audience, while staying true to the banner of jazz. Recommended. ~ Judith Schlesinger https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-little-moonlight-mw0000321356

Personnel:  Dianne Reeves – vocals;  Romero Lubambo – guitar, arranger;  Reuben Rogers – bass;  Gregory Hutchinson – drums;  Peter Martin – piano, arranger;  Nicholas Payton – trumpet (track 9);  Billy Childs Trio – arranger

A Little Moonlight

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Nicholas Payton - Gumbo Nouveau

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Whoopin' Blues
(6:24)  2. When The Saints Go Marching In
(4:10)  3. Wild Man Blues
(6:31)  4. After You've Gone
(6:53)  5. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(4:01)  6. Down In Honky Tonk Town
(5:32)  7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(6:02)  8. Li'l Liza Jane
(3:34)  9. Weather Bird
(7:51) 10. St. James Infirmary

Only 22 at the time of this CD, Nicholas Payton had already quickly developed into a major trumpeter. Possessing a fat tone that is sometimes reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard, by the mid-'90s Payton had become New Orleans' latest significant contribution to jazz. On his second Verve release, Payton interprets and modernizes ten songs associated with his hometown and/or Louis Armstrong. Fortunately, Payton generally retains the flavor and joy of the original versions, even while he transforms much of the music into hard bop. To cite a few examples, "Whoopin' Blues" has parade rhythms, send-offs worthy of Lionel Hampton, and boppish solos, "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is taken as a slow and lightly swinging ballad, and "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" is turned into a jazz waltz. "Li'l Liza Jane" becomes a largely unrecognizable hard bop romp and this version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" is a bit melancholy, but "Wild Man Blues" is a real tour de force for the trumpeter and the duet between Payton and pianist Anthony Wonsey on "Weather Bird" has the leader liberally quoting from Louis Armstrong's classic version. Throughout the date, Payton is the lead voice, pianist Wonsey is the main supporting player, and there are occasional solos from altoist Jesse Davis and tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield. New Orleans jazz purists may not care for all of the updating, but the overall results are fresh and quite likable. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/gumbo-nouveau-mw0000183253

Personnel: Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Jesse Davis (alto saxophone); Tim Warfield (tenor saxophone); Anthony Wonsey (piano); Reuben Rogers (bass); Adonis Rose (drums).                 

Gumbo Nouveau

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