Traditional Respect
Matthew B. Scott | Alexandria, VA | 09/14/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Contemporary Jazz at its hottest
Duncan MacLeod | Kingston, NH | 06/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."