Search - Nicholas Payton :: Nick @ Night

Trumpeter Nicholas Payton has a tough line of influence preceding him. His New Orleans roots--not to mention his stellar self-titled CD of duets with Doc Cheatham--recall the great Louis Armstrong, even if his style is less aligned with any single horn voice. He's moved stealthily into a groove with the band on Nick@Night since they came together on CD for Gumbo Nouveau in 1995. Soprano and tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield plays nicely clipped lines on the straight horn, with drummer Adonis Rose crashing along at times with the force of a Tony Williams acolyte, surprising those familiar with earlier, more laid-back Payton affairs. Of course, the trumpeter is the front man and grabs much of the attention with his rapid attack, bent with arty slurs and half-valve statements. Payton solos with lightning quickness and hopping, rhythmic leaps on "Blacker Black's Revenge" and the pair of entertaining interludes that dot Nick@Night. And despite the presence of the very unhumorous harpsichord on a couple tracks, this rendition of Payton's band hearkens back to the Cheatham session (very obliquely) in its sense of fun, with "Captain Crunch (Meets the Cereal Killer)" living up in spirit to its promising title. Further, Anthony Wonsey actually makes the harpsichord (and the celeste) sound appropriate here, sticking with the instrument's warmer corners and steering away from any hyperruns or nervous stair climbs. Payton's band can be a rollicking one, and here they show their full range of potency. --Andrew Bartlett