Grammy award-winning jazz musician Nicholas Payton was recently appointed chair of the Berklee College of Music Brass Department. Described by Berklee College of Music as “a child prodigy,” Payton began his musical journey at age 4 when he learned to play the trumpet. Born to a bass player and a pianist, Payton’s early introduction to music proved to be rewarding as he began performing professionally at age 10.
Originally from New Orleans, Payton has been revered for his musical style since the release of his first album, “From this Moment,” in 1995, for which he received his first Grammy nomination in the category of Best Instrumental Solo in 1997. Throughout a 30-year career, Payton has been a member of multiple music groups and credited on over 20 albums, two of which have received critical acclaim. Over the course of his respected career, Payton has also collaborated with various notable artists, including rapper Common and fellow Grammy-award-winning R&B Neo-soul artist Jill Scott.
In addition to his multi-instrumentalist talents, Payton is also a respected vocalist, composer, producer, arranger, essayist and social activist, as stated on his website. Specifically, his compositions have earned him critical acclaim. His orchestral work, The Black American Symphony, was commissioned and performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He also performed as the lead composer for the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland during their concert of Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain.
While Payton is commonly revered for his performances, his specific playing style has earned him just as much notoriety. Consistently paying homage to Black culture through his playing, what he calls “postmodern New Orleans music” encompasses the “spirit of Black American Music.”
As a musician, the Black American experience is central to the stories Payton tells through his work. When discussing his music, he shared his views on his style. “Pretty much all the music that I play is centered in Black culture, Black music,” Payton said. “And that’s why I’ve eschewed jazz and came up with the terminology, Black American Music because I want to be connected to the whole of it.”
Berklee is ecstatic to acquire his myriad of talents after a remarkable career as a giant within the industry. Dean of the Professional Performance Division at Berklee, Sean K. Skeete is delighted at Payton’s amalgamation with the university and feels as though “his experience as a world-class artist and educator will further advance Berklee’s reputation as a leader in arts education.”
