Review: Nicholas Payton’s ‘Quarantined with Nick’

Throughout history, musicians have used the direst of circumstances, including widespread pandemics, to expand their artistic boundaries and examine unexplored sonic territories. As European society collapsed during the era of the Black Death, composers presented new complex forms – the rondeau, the virelai, and the ballade. By 1365, the last of these would become one of the most popular song formats. While the first jazz album was released a year prior, during the Spanish Flu of 1918, artists further developed the burgeoning style as significant technological developments began to emerge in both recording and radio, the latter of which would become publicly available two years later. Following in a similar vein is Nicholas Payton’s Quarantined with Nick (2020, Paytone Records). In the trumpeter/keyboardist’s own words “[a]s artists, I think we have a social responsibility to take this current social and economic situation and mark art from it.” 

Joined by Sasha Masakowski and Cliff Hines, the trio approaches the coronavirus outbreak which has so horribly ravished the globe. It is fitting all three are from New Orleans, which has been hit particularly hard with many, including musical elders like Ellis Marsalis, falling ill and/or dying. Although from the home of jazz, a musical term the bandleader renounces in favor of BAM or Black American Music, Quarantined draws from a wide range of styles. Particular regard is given to electronica and hip hop, including bounce. It is overwhelmingly guided by beats and rhythms, primarily formed from the sampling of various statements on the health crisis. “Social Experiment” is crafted from a quote by Neil Degrasse Tyson. “Population Control” and “Tenderona” are based around a statement about how a fifty million person quarantine is the largest in human history. “Man-Made Malady” centers around the phrase “of course it’s man-made.” 

Given its heavy reliance on synthesizer, it would be easy for Quarantined to adopt a distant and cold sound. This is particularly the case on “Baby Got Bot” and “Cyborg Swing” where the sampled statements are replaced with glitches. In reality, the music remains grounded primarily through Masakowski’s vocals. Except for “Witness”, she does not sing traditional parts per se. However, she does provide a breathy vocalese throughout the album which in essence humanizes it. This is best seen on “Tenderona” and “Man-Made Malady”. A similar effect is provided by the acoustic guitar refrain on “Charmin Paper Blues” as well as Payton’s various trumpet solos which harken back to the long line of New Orleans horn pioneers as well as some other luminaries from elsewhere, such as Miles Davis. At times, even the glitches themselves at times adopt a human element due to their seemingly intentional imperfections. 

As on much of his other works, Payton also does not shy away from political messages. “Social Experiment” comments on how not enough people take the word of scientists seriously. “Bird Flew” speaks out against the overconsumption of meat, genetic testing, and animal cloning. “Population Control” adroitly morphs a monologue on violence by law enforcement  against people of color into a repeated phrase of “please behave.” “Tenderona” expresses concern that restrictions on mobility may serve as a precursor to the creation of a police state. “Man-Made Malady” references the description provided by conspiracy theorist crackpot extraordinaire Alex Jones to describe the virus and flips its meaning to focus on society’s abuse of natural processes. 

Given its subject matter, one may expect Quarantined to be overly morose. Instead, at times, it is actually quite humorous. “Bird Flew” is ostensibly a punny reference to both avian influenza and 2020 marking Charlie Parker’s centennial birthday. It also features a higher-pitched manipulation of a speech sample reminiscent of the voicing of Parliament-Funkadelic’s Sir Nose D’voidoffunk. “Baby Got Bot” is a play on its computerized nature and Sir Mix A Lot’s hit. “Charmin Paper Blues” features a remixed monologue poking fun at the perceived toilet paper shortage. The album’s title itself is a play on Payton’s immediately preceding release, Relaxin’ with Nick (2019, Smoke Sessions Records), where alongside Kenny and Peter Washington he melded old standards and new compositions with electronic experimentation. 

Equal parts a dance party for those confined to their homes and a forceful commentary on the uniqueness of its time, Quarantined with Nick discards adherence to not only the concept of genre but also any preconception that a division must exist between groove and substantive message. Although significantly addressing the serious, at times contradictory, issue of balancing safety with freedom from control, the songs never abandon their ability to make listeners move to the beat. 

Quarantined with Nick is now available on all streaming services. More information on Nicholas Payton can be found at Nicholaspayton.com.

Tracklist: 1. Social Experiment, 2. Population Control, 3. Tenderona, 4. Bird Flew, 5. Man-Made Malady, 6. Charmin Shortage Blues, 7. Witness, 8. Cyborg Swing, 9. Baby Got Bot, 10. Social Distance

Personnel: Nicholas Payton (trumpet, keyboards), Sasha Masakowski (vocals, electronics), Cliff Hines (modular synthesizer, guitar).