Nicholas Payton

Singer-songwriter Yu SakaiSakai Yuさかいゆう became the first Japanese singer-songwriter to appear on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert (April 2025), performing with TBN Trio featuring Nate SmithNate Smithネイト・スミス (drums) and Ben WilliamsBen Williamsベン・ウィリアムズ (bass). It happened because Smith invited the NPR crew to their Shibuya show. Sakai has also recorded with John ScofieldJohn Scofieldジョン・スコフィールド, Terrace MartinTerrace Martinテラス・マーティン, and Nicholas PaytonNicholas Paytonニコラス・ペイトン across previous albums — a rare J-pop artist woven into both the LA and NYC jazz scenes.

— Yu Sakai feat. TBN Trio: Tiny Desk Concert

Nicholas PaytonNicholas Paytonニコラス・ペイトン has advocated rebranding jazz as 'New Black Music (NBM),' arguing that the word 'jazz' has been appropriated and diminished. His provocative position sparked debate but reflects deep engagement with the African-American musical heritage underlying the music.

— On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore, Nicholas Payton, 2011

In 2011, Nicholas PaytonNicholas Paytonニコラス・ペイトン published On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore on his blog, proposing the term Black American Music (BAM) for his work — sparking a debate over the colonial baggage of the word jazz.

— On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore, Nicholas Payton, 2011

In 1996 PaytonNicholas Paytonニコラス・ペイトン recorded Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton (Verve) with the 91-year-old veteran trumpeter; released in 1997, it won Payton the 1998 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his playing on "Stardust."

— Nicholas Payton, Wikipedia, 2024

"Jazz is beautiful music, but the name carries too much colonial history." — PaytonNicholas Paytonニコラス・ペイトン's 2011 blog post "On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore" proposed the term Black American Music (BAM).

— Statement stmt-payton-jazz-not-cool

Youngblood

Elvin Jones · 1992

Gumbo Nouveau

Nicholas Payton · 1996

Bitches

Nicholas Payton · 2011

Afro-Caribbean Mixtape

Nicholas Payton · 2017

Elvin Jones' 1992 album Youngblood was stocked almost entirely with then-unknown young players. One of them, 19-year-old trumpeter Nicholas Payton, would go on to lead his own Gumbo Nouveau and become one of the defining voices of New Orleans jazz — the veteran drummer's record turned out to be the start of someone else's career, not a victory lap.

"Jazz is beautiful music, but the name carries too much colonial history. I prefer to call it Black American Music — BAM."

From the 2011 polemical blog post "On Why Jazz Isn't Cool Anymore."

The History of Jazz

2011