Read some of the story. Look around… and listen.
Feel free to say hi… I love hearing from you!
-Dexter

PRA VOCÊ by Dexter Payne Quartet +1 is a musical journey. It’s like a condensed soundtrack for Dexter’s 8000 mile southern odyssey.

READ THE CRITICS: Huff Post, OffBeat Magazine,
AllAboutJazz.com and a 4 star review in DownBeat.

WATCH VIDEOS: live recording footage of  Pra Você &
Colorado Brazil Fest at eTown Hall.

 

On a 2 1/2 yr musical odyssey , traveling slow and meeting collaborators from Tijuana to Buenos Aires, Dexter's goal was Brazil, where he recorded with samba icon Beth Carvalho, and where met the late composer/percussionist, Gaudencio Thiago de Mello. (De Mello, in an earlier life, coached a championship Botafogo soccer team with the legendary Garincha.) In Manaus he met composer/guitarist, Antonio Mello. Soon as he heard Antonio's music he said, "This is why I came here!" Together the three recorded an afternoon of instrumentals, mostly penned by Antonio - "Inspiration". Later, recording (four albums) with Thiago de Mello  in NYC resulted in a nod from DownBeat's Readers Poll. Then "Pra Você" with the Quintet, a group of amazing players, appeared in DownBeat with a 4 star review..

"Jazz For All" is the latest, with the same quintet plus a magical vocal cameo by Elena Camerin Young. the album was made possible, in part, by a grant from Pathways to Jazz.  

BUY DOWNLOADS and CDs 

"Reedman Dexter Payne has not been an easy musician to categorize. The Denver, CO-based clarinetist and alto/baritone saxophonist (who has also played harmonica, flute, and percussion on occasion) has played jazz extensively, but he has also played everything from electric blues to folk-rock to world and Latin music. Over the years, Payne's associations have ranged from acoustic country bluesman Barbecue Bob to Brazilian percussionist Thiago de Mello to the late folk-rock/blues singerJudy Roderick (who was Payne's musical partner for 16 years and, sadly, died of a heart attack in 1992 due to complications from diabetes). Payne and Roderick played together in a swing band calledthe Big Sky Mudflaps in the '70s, and in 1983 they formed an R&B band called Judy Roderick & the Forbears. Payne has also been heard in African pop settings."         Alex Henderson - AllMusic Guide

<rant>Yes, you can buy them on Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes and other normal channels. That's great! But if you really want to show your love, and support artists to the max, skip the high visibility corporate middle man - buy and download here!  Bandcamp is a great way for the artist to maximize returns on downloads AND the music lover has a choice of audio formats. That's right - you dont have to settle for mp3s!

A word about streaming: all too often these days we hear, "Oh I don't download any more. I get all my music from Rhapsody/Spotify/Pandora. It's so convenient."  Kind of like saying, in the old days "Oh, I don't buy music, I just listen to radio" Great resources for FINDING music, exploring unknown territory. Yes, they do pay. Very, very little!

When you find music you like, think about letting the artist know you like their work. Please consider supporting and encouraging the artists by buying downloads or even CDs. When your favorite musical entity can eat, pay rent, take care of family and keep their instruments working everyone benefits! <end of rant>