Nicholas Payton XXX at Yoshi's Oakland

Nicholas Payton is the embodiment of every trumpet player who came before him, and he leads the way for all who follow. Hailed as a virtuoso before he was even out of high school, his maturation as a prodigious talent has earned him praise as one of the most important artists of our time.

Nicholas has toured with scores of musicians including Clark Terry, Marcus Roberts, Ray Brown, Elvin Jones, and Roy Haynes and many more. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians representing a multitude of musical genres from jazz, R&B, and hip-hop and is credited on well over 120 recordings as a composer, arranger, special guest or sideman....

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Nicholas Payton is the embodiment of every trumpet player who came before him, and he leads the way for all who follow. Hailed as a virtuoso before he was even out of high school, his maturation as a prodigious talent has earned him praise as one of the most important artists of our time.

Nicholas has toured with scores of musicians including Clark Terry, Marcus Roberts, Ray Brown, Elvin Jones, and Roy Haynes and many more. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians representing a multitude of musical genres from jazz, R&B, and hip-hop and is credited on well over 120 recordings as a composer, arranger, special guest or sideman.

Nicholas has recently completed his 9th recording as a leader. Bitches is a bold autobiographical solo masterwork, released on his own imprint, BMF Productions in partnership with Independent label and distributor, In and Out Records (Digital Release 10/4/11 – Street Date: 11/8/11). In speaking about the 16 songs on Bitches, Nicholas continues by expressing that: “To me, the whole point of life is to be in a relationship, with oneʼs self and with other people. Without that mirror of relationship, we canʼt discover who we truly are. My mission is to constantly define and redefine who I am and what I am…to try to be better and to live the things I believe and say. Thatʼs not an easy road, but to me thatʼs the only way to live.”

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