After touring with Marcus Roberts and Elvin Jones in the early 90s Payton signed a recording contract with Verve; his first album, From This Moment, appeared in 1994. In 1996 he performed on the soundtrack of the movie Kansas City, and in 1997 received a Grammy Award (Best Instrumental Solo) for his playing on the album Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton. After seven albums on Verve Payton signed with Warner Brothers, releasing Sonic Trance, his first album on the new label, in 2003. Besides his recordings under his own name, Payton has also played and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, and Doc Cheatham.
(2) Trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Nicholas Payton was raised in New Orleans, a town chock-full of trumpet players and he originally followed in the footsteps of a mile-long line of tradition-based players including Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt, and of course, Wynton Marsalis. Payton is the son of Walter Payton, a well-known bassist on the Crescent City jazz scene. His mother played piano. Given his upbringing in a musical family, Payton often spent upwards of ten hours a day practicing trumpet in his youth. He began playing trumpet as a four-year-old, after asking his father to get him one. He began accompanying his father to shows at clubs in his youth and had the chance to hear many great trumpet players.
"I had a chance to hear some great trumpeters like Wendell Brunious, Leroy Jones, Clyde Kerr Jr., and Teddy Riley," Payton said in a 2003 interview, and he also recalled seeing Wynton Marsalis when he was in high school. "I got to hear a bunch of people play trumpet in a town that has been noted for trumpet players since Buddy Bolden. For me, trumpet fit my personality. It suited my voice. You're able to express a wide range of emotions on the instrument," he said.
The turning point for the young Payton came when he was 11, when he heard a Miles Davis quartet album that was in his parents' record collection. With the opening notes of the recording, he knew then he wanted to be a trumpet player and play jazz. He started performing publicly as a ten-year-old and began playing in the streets as a year later. He worked everywhere from jazz funerals to weddings to bar mitzvahs, and played on the streets for tips. Although he knew he wanted to play jazz, he also knew "you can't make a living in New Orleans being a genre-oriented musician." Payton said, "A lot of the guys my father played with in jazz bands were school teachers during the day, and they would play gigs at night and on weekends."
Payton attended New Orleans' high school for the Creative Arts and studied with Clyde Kerr Jr.; he later studied briefly at the University of New Orleans with pianist Ellis Marsalis, who raised Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason. Payton learned more from showing up at the elder Marsalis' gigs at Snug Harbor and other Crescent City jazz clubs than he did in the classroom. "He would let me sit in," Payton recalled in 2003, "and the thing with Ellis is he challenges you to be able to teach yourself. That's the key to jazz. Only you can know how you want to sound. A good teacher will facilitate the development of your own style." Payton's college career at UNO was interrupted by the chance to go on the road with drummer Elvin Jones. He had spent time on the road with Marcus Roberts and other touring musicians, but those were shorter stints. Spending two years on the road with drummer Jones was his first big break, he recalled.
Through the years, Payton has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Doc Cheatham, and Joe Henderson, among others. He began his recording career with Verve Records, and his first album, From This Moment, was released in 1992. Two years later he performed on the soundtrack for the movie Kansas City, and in 1997 he received a Grammy Award for his playing on a collaborative album with then-nonagenarian trumpeter Doc Cheatham, Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton. He also released 1995's Gumbo Nouveau, 1997's Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock, 1998's Payton's Place, 1999's Nick@Night, and 2001's Dear Louis.
Payton signed with Warner Bros. in 2003, releasing the '70s fusion-influenced Sonic Trance. An auto accident briefly sidelined Payton's career as he took time to fully recover. He returned with Mysterious Shorter on Chesky in 2006 and Into the Blue on Nonesuch in 2008. Well known as a risk taker, Payton took one of his grandest on 2011's B**ches. A concept recording that details the stages and ending of a romantic relationship, Payton composed and arranged all 16 songs (which include lyrics), played every instrument, sang and played trumpet throughout, and produced the entire set. He is accompanied on the album by special guest vocalists Cassandra Wilson, Esperanza Spalding, N'Dambi, Chinah Blac, and Saunders Sermons. ~ Richard Skelly, Rovi
Faith
Nicholas Payton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Covered in snow
You in the kitchen
With the lights way down low
I'm in the parlor playing my old guitar
Speaking to you, darling, to find out how you are
[Chorus]
I want to woo you, woo you tonight
I want to roo you, want to get through to you
I want to woo you, woo you tonight
Come to me softly
Come to me quiet
Know what I'm after
I'm gonna try it
Snowstorm's on the way and we'll be stranded for a week
Come over to the window, look outside take a peek
[Chorus]
You know I am lonely
And in need of your company
Oh, let your love light shine on down on me
And we can just sit here
Look at the fire
Watch the flames leaping higher and higher
Tea on the stove food in the pan
Ain't going nowhere and we don't have many plans
[Chorus]
And you know I am lonely
I been in need of your company
Let your love shine on down on me
[Chorus]
Woo you tonight, pretty baby
Woo you tonight, little darling
Woo you tonight, alright
Woo you tonight
The lyrics of Nicholas Payton's song "Faith" describe a winter scene, specifically December 23rd, where the singer finds himself in a cozy home with his lover. The setting is perfect for intimacy, with soft lights, snow outside, and music playing in the parlor. The singer expresses his desire to understand his lover, to connect with her on a deeper level. He asks her to let her guard down, to come to him softly and share her thoughts. He promises to woo her, or make a concerted effort to win her, throughout the night. The chorus repeats this theme, cementing the idea that the singer wants to make his lover feel cherished.
The song's mood is essentially romantic, with a dash of melancholy thrown in. The singer is lonely, and his need for companionship is palpable. However, there is a sense of faith, that his connection to his lover is solid, and he trusts that they can weather any storm together. The repetition of the chorus also underscores the idea of faith, that the singer is unwavering in his desire to make his lover feel loved no matter what.
Overall, "Faith" is a sweet, sincere song about a couple finding solace in each other during wintertime. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the setting and the emotions that the couple is feeling, and the repetitive chorus adds to the song's sense of conviction and certainty of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Twenty-third of December
It's the 23rd of December, probably near the time for the celebration of Christmas or other winter holidays.
Covered in snow
The place is surrounded by snow, probably indicating that it's snowing or has snowed recently.
You in the kitchen, With the lights way down low
The listener is in the kitchen with the lights dimmed or turned off, creating a cozy atmosphere.
I'm in the parlor playing my old guitar Speaking to you, darling, to find out how you are
The artist is in the parlor, playing their guitar while conversing with the listener to check how they're doing.
[Chorus] I want to roo you, want to get through to you I want to woo you, woo you tonight I want to roo you, want to get through to you I want to woo you, woo you tonight
The artist is expressing their desire to connect with the listener and woo them romantically, repeated throughout the song.
Come to me softly Come to me quiet Know what I'm after I'm gonna try it
The listener is urged to come to the singer or approach them cautiously, with the singer hinting at their romantic intentions.
Snowstorm's on the way and we'll be stranded for a week Come over to the window, look outside take a peek
The arrival of a snowstorm may prevent them from leaving for a while, and the singer invites the listener to look outside the window together.
[Chorus] You know I am lonely And in need of your company Oh, let your love light shine on down on me
The first part of the chorus is repeated, with the artist expressing their loneliness and wanting the listener's love.
And we can just sit here Look at the fire Watch the flames leaping higher and higher Tea on the stove food in the pan
The artist suggests that they could spend time together simply basking in the warmth of the fire and enjoying simple comforts like tea and food.
Ain't going nowhere and we don't have many plans
They don't have any immediate plans or agendas and are content staying where they are.
[Chorus] Woo you tonight, pretty baby Woo you tonight, little darling Woo you tonight, alright Woo you tonight
The last part of the chorus is repeated, with the singer urging the listener to let themselves be wooed by them.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind