Nicholas Payton (born September 26, 1973) is an American trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist. A

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

winner, he is from

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, Louisiana. He is also a writer who comments on subjects including music, race, politics, and life in America.

Biography

The son of bassist and sousaphonist

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...

, he began playing the trumpet at the age of four and by age nine was sitting in with the

Young Tuxedo Brass Band The Young Tuxedo Brass Band is a brass band from New Orleans that was active after World War II. The Young Tuxedo Brass Band was founded in 1938 by John Casimir. Its name is a nod to the Tuxedo Brass Band of Papa Celestin, an ensemble in New O ...

alongside his father. He began his professional career at ten years old as a member of James Andrews' All-Star Brass and was given his first steady gig by guitarist

Danny Barker Daniel Moses Barker (January 13, 1909 – March 13, 1994) was an American jazz musician, vocalist, and author from New Orleans. He was a rhythm guitarist for Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter during the 1930s. One of Barker's earli ...

at The Famous Door on Bourbon Street. He enrolled at the

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, or NOCCA, is the regional, pre-professional arts training center for high school students in Louisiana. NOCCA opened in 1973 as a professional arts training center for secondary education, secondary schoo ...

and then at the University of New Orleans. After touring with Marcus Roberts and

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

in the early 1990s, Payton signed a contract with

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

; his first album, ''From This Moment'', appeared in 1995. In 1996 he performed on the soundtrack of the movie ''

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

'', and in 1997 received a Grammy Award (Best Instrumental Solo) for his playing on the album ''Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton.'' After seven albums on Verve, Payton signed with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

, releasing ''Sonic Trance'', his first album on the new label, in 2003. Besides his recordings under his own name, other significant collaborations include

Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 ...

, Ray Brown,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer and musician. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Harold Budd ...

, Dr. John, Stanley Jordan,

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

, Zigaboo Modeliste, Marcus Roberts, Jill Scott,

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...

, Nancy Wilson, Dr. Michael White, and

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

. In 2004, he became a founding member of the

SFJAZZ Collective The SFJAZZ Collective is an American jazz ensemble comprising nine performer/composers, launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ, a West Coast non-profit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Collective activities The ...

. In 2008, he joined The Blue Note 7, a septet formed in honor of the 70th anniversary of

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

. In 2011, he formed a 21-piece big band ensemble called the Television Studio Orchestra. In 2011, he also recorded and released ''Bitches'', a love narrative on which he played every instrument, sang, and wrote all of the music. In 2012 the Czech National Symphony Orchestra commissioned and debuted his first full orchestral work, ''The Black American Symphony''. And in 2013, he formed his own record label, BMF Records, and the same year released two albums, ''#BAM Live at Bohemian Caverns'', where he plays both trumpet and

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

, often at once, and ''Sketches of Spain'', which he recorded with the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland. In 2024, he was announced as chair of the Brass Department at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

. In 2024, Nicholas Payton attracted significant controversy following a series of public statements on social media that were widely characterized as antisemitic. In 2025, he was fired from his position as Chair of the Brass Department at the Berklee College of Music following a probe into his anti-Semitic comments.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''From This Moment'' ( Verve, 1995) * ''Gumbo Nouveau'' (Verve, 1996) * ''Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock'' with

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 400 recordings as a sideman, and is a nine-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of jaz ...

, Mark Whitfield (Verve, 1997) * ''Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton'' with Doc Cheatham (Verve, 1997) * ''

Payton's Place ''Payton's Place'' is an album by the jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton, released in 1998. Track listing All songs compositions by Nicholas Payton, except as indicated. # Zigaboogaloo – 5:53 # The Three Trumpeteers – 5:26 # Back to the Source ...

'' (Verve, 1998) * ''Nick@Night'' (Verve, 1999) * ''Dear Louis'' (Verve, 2001) * ''Sonic Trance'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, 2003) * '' Live in New York 1.24.04'' with Sonic Trance (Kufala Recordings, 2004) * ''Mysterious Shorter'' with Bob Belden, Sam Yahel, John Hart, Billy Drummond ( Chesky, 2006) * ''Into the Blue'' ( Nonesuch, 2008) * ''Bitches'' (In+Out, 2011) * ''Live at 2012

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of vi ...

'' (Munck Mix, 2012) * ''#BAM: Live at Bohemian Caverns'' (BMF, 2013) * ''Sketches of Spain'' with Sinfonieorchester Basel (BMF, 2013) * ''Numbers'' (Paytone, 2014) * ''Letters'' (Paytone, 2015) * ''Textures'' (Paytone, 2016) * ''Afro-Caribbean Mixtape'' (Paytone, 2017) * ''Relaxin' with Nick'' (Smoke Sessions, 2019) * ''Quarantined with Nick'' (Paytone, 2020) * ''Maestro Rhythm King'' (Paytone, 2020) * ''Smoke Sessions'' (Smoke Sessions, 2021) * ''The Couch Sessions'' (Smoke Sessions, 2022) * ''New Standards, Vol. 1'' with

Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets (band), ...

, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Matthew Stevens (Candid, 2022) * ''Drip'' (Paytone, 2023)

As group

New Orleans Collective
With Wessell Anderson, Christopher Thomas, Peter Martin and

Brian Blade Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and session musician. Early life Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Blade was exposed to gospel and praise music while attending Zion Baptist Church at which his ...

* ''New Orleans Collective'' (

Paddle Wheel A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened end (the ''blade'') used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered watercraft by p ...

, 1993)

(2004–2006) * ''SFJazz Collective'' ( Nonesuch, 2005) * ''SFJazz Collective 2'' (Nonesuch, 2006) The Blue Note 7 (2008–2009) * '' Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 2009)

As sideman/guest

With Eric Alexander *'' Summit Meeting'' (Milestone, 2002) With Joanne Brackeen * '' Pink Elephant Magic'' (Arkadia Jazz, 1999) With

Bill Charlap William Morrison Charlap (born October 15, 1966, pronounced "Shar-Lap") is an American jazz pianist and educator. Early life and education Born in New York City, Bill Charlap is the son of American Broadway composer Moose Charlap and the singe ...

* ''Plays George Gershwin: The American Soul'' (Blue Note, 2005) With

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

* ''

Electric Circus ''Electric Circus '' (also known as ''EC'') is a Canadian live dance music television program that aired on MuchMusic and Citytv from September 16, 1988, to December 12, 2003. The name originated from a nightclub that once existed at Citytv's fir ...

'' ( MCA, 2002) With The Headhunters * ''Evolution Revolution'' ( Basin Street, 2003) With

* ''

Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

'' (Verve, 1997) – rec. 1992, 1996 With Doc Houlind * ''New Orleans Sessions'' (Music Mecca, 1995) With Dr. John * ''N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda'' (Blue Note, 2004) With

* '' Youngblood'' ( Enja, 1992) * '' Going Home'' (Enja, 1993) – rec. 1992 * ''

It Don't Mean a Thing It or IT may refer to: * It (pronoun), in English * Information technology Arts and media Film and television * It (1927 film), ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow * ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film * I ...

'' (Enja, 1994) – rec. 1993 With

Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist and songwriter. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering dee ...

* '' Wholly Earth'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 1999) – rec. 1998 With

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman a ...

* '' Where Are We'' (Blue Note, 2023) With * ''Touch the World'' (Newborder Recordings. 2020) – in track "" With Jimmy Smith * '' Damn!'' (Verve, 1995) * '' Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams'' (Verve, 1996) With

* '' The Bright Mississippi'' ( Nonesuch, 2009)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
The Complete Nicholas Payton: #BAM, Bird, Barack Obama, moreBiography from JazzTrumpetSolos.com"In Conversation with Nicholas Payton"
by Ted Panken,
Jazz.com

Nicholas Payton: Live At The Village Vanguard
– slideshow by ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

''
DTM interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payton, Nicholas 1973 births Living people American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Grammy Award winners Jazz musicians from New Orleans Verve Records artists 21st-century American trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Christian McBride Big Band members The Blue Note 7 members SFJAZZ Collective members Smoke Sessions Records artists Warner Records artists Nonesuch Records artists