There is no shortage of remarkable trios in the musical landscape, but few, besides the pathbreaking trumpet player, keyboardist, and composer Nicholas Payton, could bring together three true visionaries and synergize them into one singular creative voice. That’s just what Payton has done with TRIUNE, his exhilarating new album for Smoke Sessions Records, on which he’s joined by bassist and vocalist esperanza spalding and drummer Karriem Riggins.

“TRIUNE means ‘three in one,’ which is exactly how this trio functions,” Payton explains. “Each of us is a leader in our own right, but together we combine to form a unified sound.”

TRIUNE reconvenes a rhythm section that Payton originally assembled in 2010 for a quartet that also included the pianist Taylor Eigsti. Riggins could already boast a decade and a half of impressive credits at that time, bridging diverse areas of Black American Music. He had demonstrated his mastery of swing behind leaders including Mulgrew Miller, Ray Brown, Eric Reed, Oscar Peterson, and Milt Jackson. At the same time, he was deeply immersed in the hip-hop community, collaborating with revered names like Common, J Dilla, Daft Punk, and Erykah Badu.