Gerald Clayton

In just eight years of band activity, very few people can boast of three albums of their own, several studio projects as a sideman and countless performances around the world. Pianist and composer Gerald Clayton is, however, among the chosen ones. He has established himself as one of the leading figures of the emerging generation of jazz artists who move effortlessly through the multitude of styles that make up the modern jazz language. Dubbed "a striking and authoritative figure" by The New York Times, Clayton is now boldly on his way to leaving his own lasting mark on the age-old and rich jazz tradition. His latest record on the Concord Jazz label, Life Forum, fully predisposes him to this.

Gerald was born in the Netherlands in 1984 and grew up in Southern California. He took his first piano lessons at the age of seven with the full support of his father, acclaimed jazz bassist, composer and bandleader John Clayton. Gerald later moved temporarily to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music. "I knew that one day I wanted to move to New York permanently, so I suggested that it would be good to experience the city for a year as a student." After returning to Los Angeles for an eighteen-month stay to complete his studies, he moved to New York permanently.

In 2006, Gerald won second place in the prestigious Thelonius Monk International Competition. At that time he was also introduced to trumpeter Roy Hargrove when both were soloists in a concert with the Henry Mancini Orchestra. Their meeting resulted in extensive touring with Roy Hargrove between 2006 and 2009 and participation on Hargrove's recordings Earfood (2008) and Emergence (2009). Gerald has also appeared on recordings by several other notable artists, including Diane Krall, Ambrose Akinmusire and the Clayton Brothers Quintet, fronted by his father John and uncle, saxophonist Jeff. Gerald still plays regularly with the Clayton Brothers.

In 2009, Clayton released Two Shades, his debut album. It is from this album that Cole Porter's track All of You comes, for which he received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Improvised Jazz Solo. In 2011, Gerald was honored with a second nomination, this time for Best Jazz Instrumental Composition, for the song Battle Circle written for the Clayton Brothers' aptly titled The New Song and Dance album.

The same year, Clayton released his second album, Bond: The Paris Sessions. Clayton recalls that the album was created organically and with a minimum of stress. "You often hear people talk about the curse of the second album, but recording this record and the whole process leading up to the record was very natural for us as a trio. We were spending a lot of time on tour at the time, so it was a natural thing for us to capture the atmosphere of the shows together." Bond received a 2012 Grammy nomination, Gerald's third, for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

The current record, Life Forum, was released in April 2013. "It's probably my most ambitious album yet," says Clayton. "Creating the concept and music for a group of eight musicians was a new experience for me, requiring more preparation than I was used to. And since three of the tunes were written and some other post-production work was done, this project was a bit of a departure from my previous two." "I try to ignore the pigeonholing, the genre differences," he adds. "I'm focused on making honest and sincere music and working with people whose ideas resonate with my own."