Customer Reviews

Payton's Place

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is hot. Sizzling! This is Payton's 3rd album as leader of his band...pianist Anthony Wonsey, drummer Adonis Rose, bassist Reuben Rogers, and sax player Tim Warfield. On "The Three Trumpeteers" Nicholas is joined by Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove for a swinging time. And Joshua Redman joins in on "A Touch of Silver" Nine of the eleven tracks were written by Payton, showing he can write just as well as he can play. He says in the liner notes that he wanted to take some chances on this record, give it a loose feel, like on some of Mile's records, and to show that jazz can be a lot of fun. Well I think he has succeeded very nicely on this album.

Having just been privileged to see and hear Nicholas Payton live (with the Ray Brown trio), I can tell you that he is the new jazz trumpet star. It is all here-- the fat, powerful, buttery, singing tones of Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Lee Morgan, the fire of Freddie Hubbard and Dizzy Gillespie---and (amazingly) he is still evolving. "Payton's Place" not only gives you a taste of Payton's range(bop, hard bop, blues, ballads, etc), and his outstanding articulation and invention, it features "Three Trumpeteers", Payton's summit meeting with Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis. (A pity Terence Blanchard was not part of it!)

Those who've been misled into thinking "contemporary" jazz has to be that bland, backgroundy "smooth jazz" of the canned stations using that term--welcome to the world of REAL contemporary jazz! Nicholas Payton's Clifford-Brown-inspired trumpet playing--plus his kicking, sometimes funky, originals--will give the serious jazz listener plenty of excitement--musical excitement that is. And when he jams with the likes of giants Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis in "The Three Trumpeters," he more than holds his own.

The band's style fits the "hard-bop" appellation for the most part, but there's plenty that's new and interesting--especially the very first cut, called "Zigaboogaloo." There are nods to two of the great figures of the Twentieth Century: "Brownie a la Mode" (trumpeter Clifford Brown) and "A Touch of Silver" (pianist Horace Silver). Then there is the teasingly playful "People Make The World Go Round," that may remind you of something sung by Bobby McFerin. There are a couple of slower cuts I sometimes skip over (only because I prefer up-tempo stuff), but the rest of the album is superb.

This is one of many contemporary albums I can enthusiastically recommend--even to moldy-fig types who think nothing really good has come out of the younger generation of players.

This CD kicks!! Not only does Nicholas play great, but so does the rest of the band! I love all the tunes that Payton wrote but also love the arrangments of the others!! Payton's Place is great, you have to buy this CD!!

Nicholas Payton blows out all the stops. Masterful control on the horn. He has Great power and great finesse. With a really tight band. Superb drums & piano. This is my album pick of the year!

This guy scares me. Check out the beginning of his solo on 'Back to the Source'. I have never heard the trumpet played as excitingly as that...he just *murders* the changes on that cut and also 'A Touch of Silver', the best composition on the album. Enjoy!!!!

I have listened to this CD dozens of times, and each time Mr. Payton amazes me even more. The problem is, however, I don't think his supporting cast is that good. I really enjoy listening to A Touch of Silver with Joshua Redman and the Three Trumpeters, but I'm not a huge fan of Tim Warfield or Anthony Wonsey. Bottom line, Payton's playing is awesome, but I wish he played with a different tenor and pianist.

Believe me, I did not have to force myself to listen to Payton's Place over and over again when I first purchased it, because it was always a pleasure to hear. Whereas some trumpeters always seem to be forcing things, Payton just puts his horn to his lips and blows, and the music just flows out. The first cut, a Payton original titled "Zigaboogaloo," sets the tone, building on tradition but at the same time sounding fresh and modern. The basic group consists of Payton on trumpet, Tim Warfield on tenor sax, Anthony Wonsey on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Adonis Rose on drums, augmented by Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet on a few cuts (all three trumpeters playing together on the aptly titled, "The Three Trumpeters") and Joshua Redman on tenor sax on one cut. Sound quality is very good, maybe just a little on the soft side, and overall, this is a truly excellent recording by one of our most promising--and most delivering--young trumpeters.

This is by far my favorite Nicholas Payton album. Every song on here is a fantastic cut and really enjoyable to listen to. A must have for jazz/trumpet enthusiasts!

Payton is one of the few modern players who is able to move the structure of his music forward without losing the traditions, and perhaps more importantly - the quality, of giants from the bebop and cool eras. Concentric circles is a great piece of work in the tradition of Miles and Adderly. Why more modern stars don't find the symbiosis between old and new that Payton does is a mystery, but thankfully Payton should be around for quite some time. The problem in rating jazz albums, is that when viewed against the whole set of works from legendary artists - this album merits only a three. When compared against any of the over-electrified, synthesized and souless newcomers who are Payton's peer group - he deserves a FIVE.