Nicholas Payton Reimagines Musical Tradition With 'Black American Symphony'

Last month, trumpeter and composer Nicholas Payton had the U.S. premiere of his Black American Symphony with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.

Payton, who's 46, is a trumpet virtuoso who grew up in a New Orleans jazz family. He first laid the groundwork for his symphony in a controversial 2011 blog post, titled "." He suggested that the label "jazz" should be replaced with "Black American Music," and the idea hit