His demeanour is usually calm and unassuming, but beneath the surface lies a world of depth and artistry. A renowned Saint Lucian pianist, composer, recording artist, and the executive director of the Saint Lucia School of Music, Richard Payne has graced stages across the region, with his original compositions earning admiration from jazz lovers.
His recently launched new album Introspection is described as a musical journey, blending rich melodies with heartfelt storytelling. The collection pays homage to his father Eugene Payne, the late Saint Lucian composer Charles Cadet, saxophonist Luther Francois and the late Yves Renard, who played a pivotal role in fostering Creole Jazz in the south and creating platforms for its growth.
Beyond his musical prowess, Payne is also a great conversationalist, as we found out when we sat down with him after the album’s launch. We discussed his journey from the Bluemangó project to Introspection, as well as his preparation for this year’s Saint Lucia Jazz main stage.
TN: One of the questions I have been eager to ask is this: Since the Bluemangó album project, what took you so long to bring out another?
RP: Well, the answer is sort of easy; it had to do with raising my daughter and being a father first. It was a combination of family, as well as having to get back into the private sector. Bluemangó was launched around 2003 at great expense and sacrifice. Added to that, I spent a lot of time focusing on my role at the Saint Lucia School of Music, which is quite involved. Now that my daughter has started university and my wife and I are empty nesters (laughs), it is a chance for me to recalibrate.
TN: Did you ever stop writing?
RP: My writing never stopped. I have a lot of compositions that I have worked on throughout the years, and what I have put out now is just some of them. So I hope that this is a starter, a recalibration in terms of my life, reflecting on all of those life experiences, being a father, being a Caribbean person in all the things that I do, my relationships with jazz in the south for instance and the special relationship with (the late) Yves Renard who was a great friend, and such a great inspiration as well. Through this relationship, I was able to meet many musicians from the Creole Caribbean that sort of reinforced my notion of the Caribbean as such a special place, a wellspring of so much talent, music and language. So I’m very fiercely and unapologetically Caribbean.
TN: Expound a bit on your jazz and Creole music influence.
RP: Man, there is so much exciting stuff happening, particularly in terms of the French Caribbean. I’m not saying it’s limited to the French Caribbean, because my definition of Creole and the concept of Creole goes beyond, you know, speaking Patois. I see Creole as the Spanish-speaking, French-speaking, Dutch-speaking influences in this region.
Creole is what I consider as our existence, which is a mix of all influences. So the idea of Creole and jazz, you know, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Saint Lucia, we have had really great musicians who are composers, who fuse jazz with a very strong Creole heritage – Haiti in particular.
So I’ve always been drawn to those musicians and those influences and there is usually a sort of cross-pollination with the music.
TN: What was the thought process like for Introspection?
RP: I always feel like the project sort of directs you, you don’t direct the project (laughs). The whole idea of Introspection is quite interesting, I think I wrote Introspection in 2011 or 2012. As I said, I am always composing, and I’d like to be known more as a composer than a pianist. I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours refining the pieces and compositions, trying to be sort of a storyteller and Introspection, I think, is probably my best. I would also love to make a mark in terms of the legacy, in terms of being one of the voices in Creole music in the Caribbean region. I would like to be part of that conversation, the musical conversation.
TN: Who are some of the musicians and personnel who contributed to this project?
RP: Well, let me start with Jay Hutchinson, a colleague and friend. He designed the CD, and he has played such a tremendous role and helped to give a very good visual representation of the album.
The musicians were handpicked. Some of them I wanted to play with, and I was pleased that they accepted my invitation; they come from five Caribbean countries. The saxophonist who I met for the first time is Ricardo Izquierdo. There is Gregory Louis from Guadeloupe who I happened to perform with in 2016 at the Haiti Jazz Festival.
We also have Michel Alibo on acoustic bass, Francis John from Saint Lucia, who was part of the Bluemango project on electric bass, Jean Caze trumpet, Ralph Lavital Guitar, Tilo Bertholo, Gregory Louis and Arnaud Dolmen on drums, Miki Telephe, Claude Saturne, Joel Widmaier, Niger Nestor, percussions with James Germain, Claudine Pennont who is very much a feature with Kassav, Faby Medina, Valerie Belinga and Namgi on vocals.
TN: What about preparations for your performance at the Jazz Festival?
RP: Well, the beauty of the album is that it was recorded live and what you hear was what we were able to produce in three days. So one could expect to hear the same thing and more at the festival. The preparation will be intense because the musicians are coming in very close to the event, and we will have a nice balance of Saint Lucian musicians and our visiting musicians. I am honoured to be performing this at home first.
TN: If Yves was here today, what do you think he would say to you?
RP: I remember every little milestone I would want to share with him, and this would be one. So he would be sharing in that excitement, rubbing his hands and would probably say, ‘This is great, Richard. What’s next?’ He would probably say something in Creole as well.
TN: If you were not doing music what do you think you would be doing?
RP: (Smiles) I cannot wrap my head around that question, because I cannot think of or see myself doing anything but music.
TN: So what do you do in your free time?
RP: Music and more music. Sometimes I hang out with my buddies, I exercise, I’m big on family time, but there is not much more than that for me. It’s just music, it’s always been music.
Richard Payne’s Introspection is now on Spotify and streaming platforms. It is also available in CD format. Be sure to check him out at the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival on Sunday, May 11, at the Pigeon Island National Landmark.
