It is not always easy to follow and understand creations of 21st century jazz musicians. One of them, Nicholas Payton, has been tentative for over a decade to combine traditional improvisation with modern streams in jazz music. Connecting classic jazz with modern version of it sounds more smooth than it actually is. Let's see If this talented man has succeeded in it.
Academically trained jazz musicians from United States often fall behind some European artists, mainly because they had different training and preparation. They didn't have the chance to figure it out inside academic community and to find new roads and new solutions, because there was already enough musical heritage. Some of them, like Miles Davis, have found innovative solutions. Others fell flat. Then, there were also those jazzers who went to the other extreme, such as Wynton Marsalis, who were "pathologically" protective of traditional jazz.
Nicholas Payton comes from New Orleans. In his twenties, he reached technical perfection in his expression through collaborations with numerous musicians. Simultaneously, he was building his solo career. Meanwhile, he started working with Cassandra Wilson and Esperanza Spalding, and begun his experimental phase. Besides singing and lyrics, he incorporated elements of hip hop and electronic. To be honest, none of this was much different from the works of many DJs who were connecting beats and trimming samples. These DJs have created a unique approach in music. Their intention was to not be restricted to techno, jazz, trance or any other trendy genres. And then, over the past couple of years, amalgamation of jazz, hip-hop and loops became a thing again. Out-of-jazz excursions were made by Wallace Roni, Christian Scott, Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, Marcus Strickland, Jeremy Pelt, etc.
Now let's get to the point. Afro-Caribbean Mixtape is mild ambiental album, one of those you can play while you are driving your car or drinking coffee with your friends. Payton is straightforward in his expression. Even though his lyrics are bringing clear political message, he doesn't make the listener tired. In any moment, he knows what he wants to say. Compared to his previous albums that were some sort of experimentation, this is a big innovation. Previously, he never surpassed boundaries of bop. With African-Caribbean Mixtape, Nicholas Payton reaches his full maturity.
