Grammy award winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton will perform with the DePaul Jazz Ensemble at the sixth annual "Jazz is For Lovers" concert sponsored by DePaul’s School of Music on Feb. 13 at the university’s Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 E. Balbo Drive.

Payton, a 24-year-old native of New Orleans, has earned a reputation as the most impressive trumpeter of his generation. Known for producing a big, wide-ranging sound, Payton performs a dazzling array of jazz, from standards and swing to groove and avant garde. His three compact discs on the Verve label--"From This Moment" (1995), "Gumbo Nouveau" (1996) and "Payton’s Place" (1998)--have received widespread critical acclaim. Last year Payton won a Grammy in the "Best Solo Jazz Performance" category for "Stardust" from "Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton," his 1997 collaboration with the late trumpeter Cheatham.

"We’re extremely honored and excited to play with one of the brightest young performers on the jazz scene today," said trumpeter Bob Lark, director of the 18-member jazz ensemble and coordinator of jazz studies at DePaul. "Nicholas’ combination of great talent and youth is inspiring for the young musicians in the ensemble."

The "Jazz is for Lovers" concert, held annually near Valentine’s Day, has provided students in Lark’s highly regarded ensemble an opportunity to perform with a series of legendary jazz figures. Past guest artists include Brian Stripling, James Moody, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

The jazz ensemble and veteran trumpter Terry have produced two compact discs on Reference Recordings: A Big Band Basie" and A Clark Terry Express." DePaul’s jazz and wind ensembles also have recorded A Ebony Concerto@ with Chicago Symphony Orchestra clarinetist John Bruce Yeh, a DePaul music faculty member.

Payton was born into a musical family. His mother, Maria, was a classical pianist and his father, Walter, is a well-respected bassist. Payton’s musical talent developed early and rapidly. He started performing with his father at age eight, eventually playing with the All-Star Brass Band, a traditional jazz youth group that played throughout the United States and abroad.

Payton studied at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, whose alumni include Terence Blanchard, Wynton and Branford Marsalis and Donald Harrison. He later studied with Marsalis family patriarch Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans, eventually performing with Joe Henderson, Terry, and Elvin Jones. Jones appointed Payton musical director of the famed Jazz Machine band when Payton was only 19.

In addition to his own releases and his disc with Cheatham, Payton has recorded "Damn!" with organ legend Jimmy Smith and "Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock" with bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Mark Whitfield. Payton appeared in director Robert Altman’s movie "Kansas City," portraying legendary trumpter Oran "Hot Lips" Page.

Tickets to "Jazz is For Lovers" are $20 for the main floor and mezzanine; balcony seats are $15. Discounts are available for senior citizens and students. Call (312) 922-1999 for tickets.