Meet prolific jazz musician and composer NABATE ISLES.
NABATE was born and raised in New York City. He was introduced to jazz music by his father who was a radio host for WBAI Radio 99.5 FM. He would bring NABATE along to jazz concerts and other music events.
Meeting all of these jazz musicians further sparked his interest in jazz. He began playing the trumpet at 8 years old. “I wanted to play the bassoon but but there weren’t any. (laughing) So I chose the trumpet instead.” Boy did he make the right choice!
“When I was 12 years old renowned trumpeter, Jon Faddis, visited my school. Our school band played for him. I was so excited! It was the first time I improvised. It was an amazing experience. At that very moment I knew that being a jazz musician was exactly what I wanted to do.”
NABATÉ finished high school and went on to receive his BM from the Eastman School of Music and his MA from New York University.
Since then he has made quite the name for himself performing, recording and touring with a plethora of artists including Mos Def, James Newton, Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, Philip Bailey, Jeffrey Osborne, Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, the Mingus Big Band, Rochester Pops Orchestra and the José Limon Dance Company.
NABATÉ even provided private trumpet instruction to actor Rob Brown for his role as trumpeter Delmond Lambreaux on the HBO series, “Treme”.
He was also a part of the Christian McBride Big Band’s Grammy-winning album, “The Good Feeling” and performed with them at the White House for President Barack Obama.
As if this wasn’t impressive enough, he also produces for NBC Radio and hosts a sports radio talk show, “So Much To Talk About”. The show airs every Wednesday on MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Cable).
On the show he interviews athletes about their shared love of music and sports. “Sports and music have a lot in common. Athletes and musicians must both create their own niche and constantly work at their craft to stay on top. Most people had no idea that Rick Carlyle is a pianist and huge fan of jazz music! It’s so exciting learning about these athletes and talking sports with them.” You can watch the show on local cable or on livestream.
NABATÉ’s debut album, “ECLECTIC EXCURSIONS” was released in July 2018 to rave reviews from fans all over the United States and the UK!
“This album is very special to me. Quincy Jones is my idol. I always admired the way he brought artists from different genres and different sounds together. This album is my 21st century version of what Quincy did with “The Dude” and “Back on the Block”.”
The album was produced by the incomparable Sam Barsh and features his mentor Jimmy Owens and his teacher Brad Jones. “The album is a family affair. These 3 guys are extremely important to me and my career.”
NABATÉ prides himself on being a unique talent. “I am honest, true to myself and express myself in my own unique way. My music stands out since I am influenced by a variety of genres of music and am open to different sounds. My music is a fusion between African, Latin, Hip-Hop and Classical music rooted in jazz. I’m learning, creating and growing everyday, plus the young, talented musicians keep me on my toes!”
Look for NABATE ISLES to go on a world tour later this year before returning to the studio next spring to being work on his next project.
“ECLECTIC EXCURSIONS” is currently available for listening and download on all digital platforms.
Instagram: @Nsi.Universal
