Nathan-Paul's Birthday Show

Nathan-Paul's Birthday Show

Nathan-Paul, flute/saxophone | Theron Brown, piano | Kip Reed, bass | Zaire Darden, drums

Nathan-Paul grew up a pastor’s son in Cleveland, Ohio, and knows how to deliver sound medicine to the people. His velvety, lo-fi sound is a vibe-heavy soul party—blending modern trap, ’70s funk, and the fire of Southern gospel. He writes first and foremost for the joy of it.

“The way I go about writing, I’m like extreme Southern hospitality. I’ll always have something for you. I won’t let you leave until you take something with you.”

Singing in church choirs by age five, Nathan-Paul developed into a multi-instrumentalist specializing in saxophone and flute, as well as production and composition. Though his music often defies genre, he is a Jazz Studies graduate of the University of Akron and an improviser at heart, shaped by the lineage of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Louis Armstrong.

From 2018 through 2023, Nathan-Paul was an artist on the roster of Rope-A-Dope Records, releasing multiple projects during a particularly prolific period of his career. Quietly contributing to the label’s legacy, he continued to represent Cleveland’s depth, musicianship, and originality.

He also served as music director for Colmine Recording Artist Wesley Bright & The Honeytones, contributing to arrangements and songwriting while opening for acts including WAR, Tower of Power, Lee Fields, and Charles Bradley. A song he wrote for Bright, “Happiness,” earned a placement with Nike Skateboarding.

One of his core projects, Nathan-Paul & The Admirables, brings a more aggressive, rock-edged intensity to his sound medicine. Focused on energy over notes, the group has toured with Moon Hooch and performed backing soul icon Dwele. Like many well-rounded Black American musicians, the music follows the moment rather than a category.

As Nathan-Paul puts it:

“I’m a student of Black American music—James Brown, Miles Davis, John Coltrane. It’s all good to me. You might hear swing, funk, hip-hop, or something in between. It’s all an expression.”

With over six albums and more than seventy singles released, Nathan-Paul remains one of Cleveland’s most compelling and unique musical voices—an artist some are only now discovering, and others already consider a hidden treasure. Rooted in Cleveland Heights, he carries the city’s past, present, and creative future with equal reverence.