Nicholas Payton/Russell Malone@The Bakery 02.20.08
By George Harris

The last time he ventured into town, trumpeter Nicholas Payton bewildered the audience by plugging his trumpet into a set of electronics, and tried to tap into his inner Miles. Thankfully, he returned to the Bakery this time repentant and resplendent, teaming up with guitarist Russell Malone for 90 minutes worth of pure, joyful and undiluted jazz. Supported by the allstar rhythm section of Nate Morgan (p), Tony Dumas (b) and snappier than a dry twig Roy McCurdy (dr), Payton let his golden toned horn shine through tunes like “Days Of Wine And Roses” and “Recorda Me”. On the latter, Morgan’s piano playing was rolling and gurgling like a series of waves at Zuma, building up to a glorious crash, while Dumas’ flexible bass work kept everything moving forward with zest. Malone, with his signature woody tone, worked wonders with his introduction and solo to “Darn That Dream” before handing the music off to Payton’s achingly gorgeous solo. Closing with Milt Jackson’s bluesy “SKJ”, Malone and Payton traded solos over Morgan’s double fisted piano that brought the music back to it’s beautiful essence. This night at the Bakery, it was definitely Payton’s Place.