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SFJAZZ is excited to partner with Diablo Regional Arts Association and the Lesher Center Presents Headliners series on another season of concert events in Contra Costa County. Curated by SFJAZZ, this thrilling line-up of internationally recognized jazz artists returns for a second year in residence at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts during the 2026-27 Season. 

NICHOLAS PAYTON
October 8, 2026, 7:30pm 
Hofmann Theater 

ABOUT NICHOLAS PAYTON
As a leading voice in American popular music, the Grammy Award-winning Nicholas Payton is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, producer, arranger, essayist, and social activist who defies musical and artistic categories. All the while, he honors the tradition of what he terms “postmodern New Orleans music,” as well as the spirit of Black American Music, of which he states, “There are no fields, per se. There are lineages.” 

The New Orleans-born Payton has followed his calling since growing up under the tutelage of his parents — acclaimed bassist Walter Payton and Maria Payton, a pianist and vocalist. Already a prodigy before entering the first grade, he began playing trumpet at age four and started performing professionally at age 10. Before the age of 20, he was already in demand by everyone from Danny Barker and Clark Terry to Elvin Jones and Marcus Roberts. Payton released his first album, From this Moment, in 1995 on the famed Verve label. He received his first Grammy nomination in 1997 for the album Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton, and for the category of Best Instrumental Solo, which found him winning the award that year.   

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