{"title":"Nicholas Payton","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"nicholas-payton-the-couch-sessions-cd","title":"Nicholas Payton - The Couch Sessions CD","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe style=\"border: 0; width: 700px; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=903020451\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=333333\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/nicholaspayton.bandcamp.com\/album\/the-couch-sessions\"\u003eThe Couch Sessions by Nicholas Payton\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n8-panel Digipak Album\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“THE COUCH SESSIONS simply flies by, which is a true indication of a great album that you just don’t want to end.”\u003cbr\u003e\n— Geraldine Wyckoff, Offbeat Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Stretching his horizons, yet looking both backwards and forwards, Nicholas Payton forms a unique trio with all-stars Buster Williams and Lenny White… The result is a kaleidoscopic collection of sounds hinting at early plugged-in Miles, sometimes bopping, other moments going into the soul-funk.”\u003cbr\u003e\n— George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Nicholas Payton emerges from the pandemic blur with creative energy to spare… Flying in interwoven spoken-word testimonials from such artists as Geri Allen, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Max Roach. From the purely musical angle, THE COUCH SESSIONS boasts the potent rhythm section of Buster Williams and Lenny White on bass and drums. with Payton eloquently completing the sonic canvas on keyboards and horn.”\u003cbr\u003e\n— Josef Woodard, Downbeat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eMusic 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“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.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThroughout 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.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ereleased November 25, 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eRecorded July 12 \u0026amp; 13, 2022 at Sear Sound Studio C, NYC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eProduced by Nicholas Payton \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003cbr\u003e\nAssociate Produced by Damon Smith\u003cbr\u003e\nRecorded, Mixed \u0026amp; Mastered by Chris Allen\u003cbr\u003e\nAssistant Engineered by Steven Sacco\u003cbr\u003e\nPhotography by Dana Distortion\u003cbr\u003e\nDesign by Damon Smith\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eExecutive Producers: Paul Stache and Molly Johnson\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382099587454,"sku":"SSR-2207-CD","price":10.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/SSR-2207-CD.jpg?v=1760095040"},{"product_id":"nicholas-payton-smoke-sessions-cd","title":"Nicholas Payton - Smoke Sessions CD","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe style=\"border: 0; width: 700px; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=938334517\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=333333\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/nicholaspayton.bandcamp.com\/album\/smoke-sessions\"\u003eSmoke Sessions by Nicholas Payton\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e8-panel Digipak Album\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Like the best reunions, this superb, intimate seminar takes ‘Four’ \u0026amp; More as a reference point, then finds its own raison d’être. Payton’s pride is palpable, relaxing in eloquence with his elders. The music is literate and leisurely. A rare treat.”\u003cbr\u003e\n— John McDonough, Downbeat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Hearing Miles Davis’s album FOUR AND MORE at the age of 11 prompted the American trumpeter to take music seriously…Now he has recorded with two members of the band heard on that disc, the saxophonist George Coleman and the bassist Ron Carter. And although Davis’s pianist Herbie Hancock isn’t here, Payton, who doubles on keyboards, channels him on a spine-tingling trio version of Hancock’s Toys. It’s a joy to hear these vets extend their legacy with this skilled, creative admirer.”\u003cbr\u003e\n— Chris Pearson, The Times (UK)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e#1 JazzWeek radio chart (3 weeks)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eSMOKE SESSIONS is the realization of Nicholas Payton’s long-cherished dream to record with icons Ron Carter and George Coleman, abetted by his frequent collaborator Karriem Riggins\u003cbr\u003e\n.\u003cbr\u003e\nFor a young Nicholas Payton, Miles Davis’ 1966 album “FOUR” AND MORE, captured live two years earlier at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall, provided a template for what music could – and should – be. Now long established as one of the most renowned musicians and composers on the scene, Payton has convened two of the legendary musicians who played with Davis on that album, bassist Ron Carter and, as a special guest on two tracks, saxophonist George Coleman, to craft some exemplary sounds of his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eFar from a tribute or a look back, however, SMOKE SESSIONS is a wholly contemporary new album that vibrantly captures Payton’s open-eared blend of swing, funk, soul, and hip-hop influences with drummer Riggins’ expansive fluidity behind the kit and Carter’s renowned, rock-solid majesty on the bass. Payton seizes the opportunity to engage with that recognizable voice in multiple forms, taking both the Miles and Herbie roles as trumpeter, pianist, and keyboardist via the multi-instrumentalism that has become a thrilling trademark of his approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ereleased October 29, 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eNicholas Payton – trumpet, piano, and Fender Rhodes\u003cbr\u003e\nRon Carter – bass\u003cbr\u003e\nKarriem Riggins – drums\u003cbr\u003e\nGeorge Coleman – tenor saxophone (“Big George” and “Turn-a-Ron”)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eRecorded April 29 \u0026amp; 30, 2021 at Sear Sound Studio C, NYC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eProduced by Nicholas Payton \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eAssociate Producer: Damon Smith\u003cbr\u003e\nRecorded, Mixed \u0026amp; Mastered by Christopher Allen\u003cbr\u003e\nAdditional drum recording by Kyle Hoffmann, Sunset Sound Studio 3\u003cbr\u003e\nPhotography by Jimmy and Dena Katz\u003cbr\u003e\nBand photography by Dean Myers\u003cbr\u003e\nDesigned by Damon Smith\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eExecutive Producers: Paul Stache \u0026amp; Molly Johnson\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382100111742,"sku":"SSR-2106-CD","price":10.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/SSR-2106-CD.jpg?v=1760095066"},{"product_id":"nicholas-payton-relaxin-with-nick-2cd","title":"Nicholas Payton - Relaxin' with Nick 2CD","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe style=\"border: 0; width: 700px; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=627296297\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=333333\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/nicholaspayton.bandcamp.com\/album\/relaxin-with-nick\"\u003eRelaxin' with Nick by Nicholas Payton\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e8-panel Digipak Album (2CD Set)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Payton harnesses the intimacy of a spring 2019 gig at Smoke on RELAXIN’ WITH NICK.\u003cbr\u003e\n– Monifa Brown, WBGO\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“Payton dazzled the audience, simultaneously playing his trumpet and a Fender Rhodes. It’s his signature, resonant sound.”\u003cbr\u003e\n– Suraya Mohamed, NPR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e“He is allergic to the notion that one kind of black music — with a particular appeal to erudite, well-heeled, often white audiences — would be more culturally salient than other forms. He’s an advocate of throwing it all together: funk, Cuban grooves, city blues, early hip-hop.”\u003cbr\u003e\n– Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eNicholas Payton’s RELAXIN’ WITH NICK brings the experience of witnessing Payton’s unparalleled live performances directly to the listener. Payton has evolved a singular approach to live performance, wedding his breathtaking voice on the trumpet to his own accompaniment on piano and Fender Rhodes. On this double album, he is joined by the renowned rhythm section of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington for a stellar set captured at Smoke Jazz \u0026amp; Supper Club. It features Payton’s original compositions and a few well-chosen standards, all highlighting the virtuosic musicianship and thrilling camaraderie discovered together on the club’s intimate stage in front of an enraptured audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eInspired by classic live albums such as Ahmad Jamal’s AT THE PERSHING: BUT NOT FOR ME, Payton was intent on highlighting both the vibe of the live club and the fresh sound of the band. “The particular way that Smoke is situated makes for even greater intimacy than your average club,” Payton says. “You can feel the atmosphere, you can feel the quiet. I like hearing the glasses clinking, the murmur of conversation and the excitement of finger-tapping. All of those elements lend themselves to the creative spirit and help set a mood.” In this intimate atmosphere, the trio feeds off the energy in the room and sparks a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ereleased October 25, 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eNicholas Payton – trumpet, piano, Fender Rhodes, vocals, effects \u0026amp; samples\u003cbr\u003e\nPeter Washington – bass\u003cbr\u003e\nKenny Washington – drums\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eRecorded Live May 30, 31 \u0026amp; June 1, 2019\u003cbr\u003e\nat SMOKE Jazz and Supper Club, NYC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eProduced by Nicholas Payton \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003cbr\u003e\nAssociate Producer: Damon Smith\u003cbr\u003e\nRecorded by Tyler McDiarmid, Geoff Countryman \u0026amp; Teng Chen\u003cbr\u003e\nMixed and mastered by Christopher Allen\u003cbr\u003e\nLiner Notes by Angelika Beener\u003cbr\u003e\nPhotography by Lily Keber \u0026amp; Kenny Morrison\u003cbr\u003e\nDesign by Damon Smith \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382103060862,"sku":"SSR-1907-CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/SSR-1907-CD.jpg?v=1760095131"},{"product_id":"nicholas-payton-triune-cd","title":"Nicholas Payton - TRIUNE CD","description":"\u003cp\u003eMulti-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Payton assembles a trio of visionaries with bassist\/vocalist esperanza spalding and drummer Karriem Riggins on the album, TRIUNE, which also features guest appearances by Ivan Neville, Erica Falls, Nikki Glaspie, and Otis McDonald\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no shortage of remarkable trios in the musical landscape, but few, besides the pathbreaking trumpet player, keyboardist, and composer Nicholas Payton, could bring together three true visionaries and synergize them into one singular creative voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“TRIUNE means ‘three in one,’ which is exactly how this trio functions,” Payton explains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTRIUNE reconvenes a rhythm section that Payton originally assembled in 2010 for a quartet that also included the pianist Taylor Eigsti. Riggins could already boast a decade and a half of impressive credits at that time, bridging diverse areas of Black American Music. He had demonstrated his mastery of swing behind leaders including Mulgrew Miller, Ray Brown, Eric Reed, Oscar Peterson, and Milt Jackson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the time of that initial quartet, esperanza spalding was still a year away from her shocking Grammy Award win for Best New Artist, but she was a keenly watched rising star. Payton clearly recognized the versatility and soulfulness of the two players and was certain that chemistry would ensue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soaring trajectory of all three artists’ careers in the intervening years was the only obstacle in bringing them back together once more. “I’d tried over the years to reunite us, but they’re always so busy,” Payton explains. “This time, the planets aligned, and it finally worked. There was never any question of how it would work or how well—it was only a matter of timing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNicholas Payton, esperanza spalding, and Karriem Riggins are three of the most distinctive and innovative minds in modern creative music. On TRIUNE, they speak with one singular, utterly captivating and joyous voice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382117675390,"sku":"SSR-2504-CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/Nicholas-Payton-TRIUNE-Cover-3000px-scaled.jpg?v=1760095438"},{"product_id":"nicholas-payton-triune-lp","title":"Nicholas Payton - TRIUNE LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eMulti-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Payton assembles a trio of visionaries with bassist\/vocalist esperanza spalding and drummer Karriem Riggins on the album, TRIUNE, which also features guest appearances by Ivan Neville, Erica Falls, Nikki Glaspie, and Otis McDonald\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no shortage of remarkable trios in the musical landscape, but few, besides the pathbreaking trumpet player, keyboardist, and composer Nicholas Payton, could bring together three true visionaries and synergize them into one singular creative voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“TRIUNE means ‘three in one,’ which is exactly how this trio functions,” Payton explains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTRIUNE reconvenes a rhythm section that Payton originally assembled in 2010 for a quartet that also included the pianist Taylor Eigsti. Riggins could already boast a decade and a half of impressive credits at that time, bridging diverse areas of Black American Music. He had demonstrated his mastery of swing behind leaders including Mulgrew Miller, Ray Brown, Eric Reed, Oscar Peterson, and Milt Jackson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the time of that initial quartet, esperanza spalding was still a year away from her shocking Grammy Award win for Best New Artist, but she was a keenly watched rising star. Payton clearly recognized the versatility and soulfulness of the two players and was certain that chemistry would ensue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soaring trajectory of all three artists’ careers in the intervening years was the only obstacle in bringing them back together once more. “I’d tried over the years to reunite us, but they’re always so busy,” Payton explains. “This time, the planets aligned, and it finally worked. There was never any question of how it would work or how well—it was only a matter of timing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNicholas Payton, esperanza spalding, and Karriem Riggins are three of the most distinctive and innovative minds in modern creative music. On TRIUNE, they speak with one singular, utterly captivating and joyous voice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382117773694,"sku":"SSR-2504-LP","price":30.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/Nicholas-Payton-TRIUNE-LP-Cover-scaled.jpg?v=1760095442"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/collections\/SSR-1907-CD.jpg?v=1774389727","url":"https:\/\/8merch.shop\/collections\/nicholas-payton-1.oembed","provider":"8Merch Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}