Nicholas Payton

New Orleans-born trumpeter, keyboardist, and singer Nicholas Payton is a maverick performer with a sound steeped in acoustic post-bop, whose music often finds him exploring genres beyond the confines of the jazz tradition. Payton garnered early attention with albums like 1995's From This Moment and 1996's Gumbo Nouveau. He gained wider acclaim playing on the soundtrack to Robert Altman's film Kansas City, winning a Grammy for his 1997 collaboration with veteran trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Beginning with 2003's fusion-influenced Sonic Trance, Payton has broadened his musical palette. Coining the term "Black American Music" or BAM, his albums, like 2011's Bitches, 2014's Numbers, and 2017's Afro-Caribbean Mixtape, have found him pushing beyond the strictures of modern jazz and weaving together elements of hip-hop, funk, and R&B. While his trumpet prowess remains his calling-card, Payton often showcases his piano skills as on 2019's Relaxin' with Nick and 2021's Smoke Sessions.