Biography
Hailing from New York City, Nabaté Isles has earned Grammy honors as a trumpeter, composer, and producer. Extensive experience as both a session musician and onstage performer has produced recording and live credits alongside a broad array of artists, among them Yasiin Bey, Christian McBride, Robert Glasper, Dianne Reeves, Ravi Coltrane, and Matthew Shipp. Universal issued his first album as leader, Eclectic Excursions, in 2018. Three years afterward Ropeadope released the star-studded En Motion. Apart from his work in music, Isles serves as a sports broadcaster and producer while hosting the podcast Where They At.
Born and raised in New York City, Isles began trumpet lessons during elementary school and performed in the school orchestra and band. In high school he appeared at the 25th anniversary concert of the Louis Armstrong Archives in 1991, representing jazz’s fifth generation alongside Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Owens, Jon Faddis, and Wynton Marsalis. At the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, he performed as featured soloist with the Rochester Pops Orchestra, took part in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz summer program at Aspen Snowmass, and participated in its Jazz Gala at the Kennedy Center. He later earned a bachelor of music from Eastman and a master’s degree from New York University.
After graduation he moved quickly into professional work, handling commercial sessions and live dates with dozens of musicians across jazz, R&B, hip-hop, funk, and rock. His recording debut occurred with saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman on the 1997 release Genesis & The Opening of the Way. During 2000 and 2001 he performed with pianist Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble, appearing on the 2001 album Aftermath. In 2002 he joined the all-star septet the Cats—Jay Hoggard, Randy Brecker, Grady Tate, Uri Caine, Buster Williams, and Joe Ford—on the Philadelphia tribute set Philly Sound: Much Respect.
In 2009 Isles provided trumpet instruction to actor Rob Brown, who portrayed Delmond Lambreaux in the HBO series Treme. His formal tenure with the Christian McBride Big Band began with the 2011 album The Good Feeling. That same year he recorded Year of the Tiger with Fred Ho & the Green Monster Big Band. Two years later he joined the Oliver Lake Big Band for the album and tour Wheels. He rejoined McBride’s ensemble for Bringin’ It in 2017.
June 2018 brought the release of his leader debut Eclectic Excursions on Universal, featuring an all-star cast that included McBride, Johnathan Blake, Brad Jones, and David Gilmore. The project received strong critical and commercial notice, remaining six weeks in the upper half of the jazz albums charts. Isles appeared as guest on Austin-based jazz pianist and composer Christine Smith’s 2019 album Meet Me on the Far Side of a Star. In 2020 he resumed recording and touring with McBride on For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver. The next year he worked with Chuck D on The Amazing Willie Mays EP.
December 2022 saw the advance single “Harlem Shuffle,” followed in January 2023 by “Black Girl Magic.” Both tracks appeared on his second album, En Motion, issued by Ropeadope at the end of January. Citing jazz’s historical roots in dance music, he aimed to return that quality to prominence. The recording fuses contemporary jazz, funk, R&B, and hip-hop elements with improvisation, drawing inspiration from earlier figures such as Donald Byrd—with and without the Blackbyrds—Quincy Jones, Roy Ayers, Tom Browne, and the Roots. His core band comprised keyboardist and producer Sam Barsh, pianist Rachel Eckroth, drummer and percussionist Eric Harland, bassist Kaveh Rastegar, and guitarist David Gilmore, while guest contributors included James Francies, Ben Wendel, Sasha Berliner, and Chuck D.
Born and raised in New York City, Isles began trumpet lessons during elementary school and performed in the school orchestra and band. In high school he appeared at the 25th anniversary concert of the Louis Armstrong Archives in 1991, representing jazz’s fifth generation alongside Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Owens, Jon Faddis, and Wynton Marsalis. At the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, he performed as featured soloist with the Rochester Pops Orchestra, took part in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz summer program at Aspen Snowmass, and participated in its Jazz Gala at the Kennedy Center. He later earned a bachelor of music from Eastman and a master’s degree from New York University.
After graduation he moved quickly into professional work, handling commercial sessions and live dates with dozens of musicians across jazz, R&B, hip-hop, funk, and rock. His recording debut occurred with saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman on the 1997 release Genesis & The Opening of the Way. During 2000 and 2001 he performed with pianist Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble, appearing on the 2001 album Aftermath. In 2002 he joined the all-star septet the Cats—Jay Hoggard, Randy Brecker, Grady Tate, Uri Caine, Buster Williams, and Joe Ford—on the Philadelphia tribute set Philly Sound: Much Respect.
In 2009 Isles provided trumpet instruction to actor Rob Brown, who portrayed Delmond Lambreaux in the HBO series Treme. His formal tenure with the Christian McBride Big Band began with the 2011 album The Good Feeling. That same year he recorded Year of the Tiger with Fred Ho & the Green Monster Big Band. Two years later he joined the Oliver Lake Big Band for the album and tour Wheels. He rejoined McBride’s ensemble for Bringin’ It in 2017.
June 2018 brought the release of his leader debut Eclectic Excursions on Universal, featuring an all-star cast that included McBride, Johnathan Blake, Brad Jones, and David Gilmore. The project received strong critical and commercial notice, remaining six weeks in the upper half of the jazz albums charts. Isles appeared as guest on Austin-based jazz pianist and composer Christine Smith’s 2019 album Meet Me on the Far Side of a Star. In 2020 he resumed recording and touring with McBride on For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver. The next year he worked with Chuck D on The Amazing Willie Mays EP.
December 2022 saw the advance single “Harlem Shuffle,” followed in January 2023 by “Black Girl Magic.” Both tracks appeared on his second album, En Motion, issued by Ropeadope at the end of January. Citing jazz’s historical roots in dance music, he aimed to return that quality to prominence. The recording fuses contemporary jazz, funk, R&B, and hip-hop elements with improvisation, drawing inspiration from earlier figures such as Donald Byrd—with and without the Blackbyrds—Quincy Jones, Roy Ayers, Tom Browne, and the Roots. His core band comprised keyboardist and producer Sam Barsh, pianist Rachel Eckroth, drummer and percussionist Eric Harland, bassist Kaveh Rastegar, and guitarist David Gilmore, while guest contributors included James Francies, Ben Wendel, Sasha Berliner, and Chuck D.
Albums
Singles
