Nicholas Payton
“notes from the zen gangster” is a 9 x 9″, 3lb meditation written by nicholas payton.
the book can be read front to back, back to front, and at random; each spread contains a conversation between two notes that also exist independently and within a free-flowing narrative.
at times provocative, profound and playful, the 366 notes invite the reader into payton’s mind and musings.
produced independently, first edition; thoughtfully designed in collaboration with book designer brittany markert and editor scout opatut.
#BAM
- a smile in her lifetime
- not far from gangsterhood
- the most valuable thing in the world
- as the incense burns
- open your own treasure house
- the sound of one hand
- if you love, love openly
SASHA MASAKOWSKI looper on tracks 1 – 5
Vocals by NICHOLAS and SASHA
Mixed and recorded by OTIS McDONALD
Produced by NICHOLAS PAYTON
Co-produced by SASHA and OTIS
Recorded at Hyde Street Studios and Butcher Studio
Additional Engineer: CHRIS BUTCHER
Mastering Engineer: MICHAEL FOSSENKEMPER
Graphic Design by JAMIE BREIWICK
All instruments and compositions by NICHOLAS PAYTON
Nicholas Payton unveils a new album “Drip,” a new take on six previously recorded original compositions.
The idea for a sweet, slick reworking of the tracks came in 2021 when Payton found himself stuck in Atlanta after a show, his return to New Orleans stalled by Hurricane Ida. Making the most of his downtime and his location, Payton sought out a studio session with musicians who had the precision and soul to capture the energy of signature R&B classics pioneered there.
The result is a raw and soulful, but precise, execution of ideas, plied by masters of the format. Drummer and producer Lil’ John Roberts, a veteran of tours with artists including Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder, adds a polished, lilting funk throughout the album that particularly buoys “Big George” and “Gold Dust Black Magic,” songs that have been mainstays of Payton’s live sets in recent years.
