Nicholas Payton Trio: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Nov. 2, 2018 | Suraya Mohamed -- He should have been exhausted, but instead played the Tiny Desk with incredible stamina, holding a single trumpet note that lasted longer than most people can hold their breath. In the days just before this performance, Nicholas Payton played at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, then Santiago, Chile and, finally, New York City. A member of his team drove them the four hours from NYC so he could nap in the car and be ready to play. Payton dazzled the audience, simultaneously playing his trumpet and a Fender Rhodes. It’s his signature, resonant sound. With the rest of his trio - the rhythmic precision of drummer Jonathan Barber and bassist Ben Williams - Payton’s genius virtuosity captivated both faithful fans and anyone in the NPR crowd just discovering his music for the first time. All three compositions in this set are from Payton’s 2017 album, Afro-Caribbean Mixtape. “It is often said that New Orleans is the northernmost re