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8-panel Digipak Album
“Like the best reunions, this superb, intimate seminar takes ‘Four’ & More as a reference point, then finds its own raison d’être. Payton’s pride is palpable, relaxing in eloquence with his elders. The music is literate and leisurely. A rare treat.”
— John McDonough, Downbeat
“Hearing Miles Davis’s album FOUR AND MORE at the age of 11 prompted the American trumpeter to take music seriously…Now he has recorded with two members of the band heard on that disc, the saxophonist George Coleman and the bassist Ron Carter. And although Davis’s pianist Herbie Hancock isn’t here, Payton, who doubles on keyboards, channels him on a spine-tingling trio version of Hancock’s Toys. It’s a joy to hear these vets extend their legacy with this skilled, creative admirer.”
— Chris Pearson, The Times (UK)
#1 JazzWeek radio chart (3 weeks)
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SMOKE SESSIONS is the realization of Nicholas Payton’s long-cherished dream to record with icons Ron Carter and George Coleman, abetted by his frequent collaborator Karriem Riggins
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For a young Nicholas Payton, Miles Davis’ 1966 album “FOUR” AND MORE, captured live two years earlier at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall, provided a template for what music could – and should – be. Now long established as one of the most renowned musicians and composers on the scene, Payton has convened two of the legendary musicians who played with Davis on that album, bassist Ron Carter and, as a special guest on two tracks, saxophonist George Coleman, to craft some exemplary sounds of his own.
Far from a tribute or a look back, however, SMOKE SESSIONS is a wholly contemporary new album that vibrantly captures Payton’s open-eared blend of swing, funk, soul, and hip-hop influences with drummer Riggins’ expansive fluidity behind the kit and Carter’s renowned, rock-solid majesty on the bass. Payton seizes the opportunity to engage with that recognizable voice in multiple forms, taking both the Miles and Herbie roles as trumpeter, pianist, and keyboardist via the multi-instrumentalism that has become a thrilling trademark of his approach.
released October 29, 2021
Nicholas Payton – trumpet, piano, and Fender Rhodes
Ron Carter – bass
Karriem Riggins – drums
George Coleman – tenor saxophone (“Big George” and “Turn-a-Ron”)
Recorded April 29 & 30, 2021 at Sear Sound Studio C, NYC
Produced by Nicholas Payton & Paul Stache
Associate Producer: Damon Smith
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Christopher Allen
Additional drum recording by Kyle Hoffmann, Sunset Sound Studio 3
Photography by Jimmy and Dena Katz
Band photography by Dean Myers
Designed by Damon Smith
Executive Producers: Paul Stache & Molly Johnson
