Biography
Gerald Clayton searches for honest expression in every note he plays. With harmonic curiosity and critical awareness, he develops musical narratives that unfold as a result of both deliberate searching and chance uncovering. The GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer formally began his musical journey at the prestigious Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he received the 2002 Presidential Scholar of the Arts Award. Continuing his scholarly pursuits, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music under the instruction of piano icon Billy Childs, after a year of intensive study with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron at The Manhattan School of Music. Clayton won second place in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition.
Expansion has become part of Clayton’s artistic identity. His music is a celebration of the inherent differences in musical perspectives that promote true artistic synergy. Inclusive sensibilities have allowed him to perform and record with such distinctive artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, John Scofield, Terence Blanchard, Dianne Reeves, Frank Wess, Ambrose Akinmusire, Ben Wendel, Peter Bernstein, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, NEXT Collective, Ben Williams, Sachal Vasandani, Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts, Michael Rodriguez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. Clayton also has enjoyed an extended association since early 2013, touring and recording with saxophone legend Charles Lloyd, and has appeared on the saxophone legend’s Blue Note albums Wild Man Dance (2015) and 8: Kindred Spirits (Live from The Lobero) (2020). He also appeared on trumpeter Akinmusire’s Blue Note debut When The Heart Emerges Glistening (2011).
In 2015-16, Clayton took on the role of Musical Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, a project that featured his trio along with Ravi Coltrane, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard and Raul Midón on guitar and vocals. In 2016-17, Clayton turned his imaginative curiosity toward uncovering the essence of the Piedmont Blues experience and expression in early twentieth century Durham. A Duke University commission, Clayton’s evening-length composition explores a mixed media performance featuring vocalist Rene Marie, gospel choir, two tap dancers and a nine-piece band including some of the most resonating voices in contemporary music. In 2018, Clayton received an ASCAP Vanguard Award- an annual award presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, in recognition of “the impact of new and developing musical genres, which help shape the future of music” 2020 marked his first year as director of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, leading a big band of all-star high school students from around the country in performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Clayton’s discography as a leader reflects his evolution as an artist. His debut recording, Two Shade (ArtistShare), earned a 2010 GRAMMY nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for his arrangement of Cole Porter’s “All of You.” “Battle Circle,” his composition featured on The Clayton Brothers’ recording The New Song and Dance (ArtistShare), received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Composition in 2011. He received 2012 and 2013 GRAMMY nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Bond: The Paris Sessions (Concord) and Life Forum (Concord), his second and third album releases. Clayton made his Blue Note debut with the 2020 release of Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard, which earned him two more GRAMMY nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. His 2022 Blue Note release Bells On Sand explores the impact and abstraction of time with contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on drums, and new collaborator MARO on vocals.
Capturing the truth in each moment’s conception of sound comes naturally to Clayton. The son of beloved bassist and composer John Clayton, he enjoyed a familial apprenticeship from an early age. Clayton honors the legacy of his father and all his musical ancestors through a commitment to artistic exploration, innovation, and reinvention.
Releases
Motion I - Out Of/Into
Bells On Sand - Gerald Clayton
Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard - Gerald Clayton
Videos
Gerald Clayton on NPR “Amplify with Lara Downes”
Gerald Clayton “My Ideal 1” (Official Video)
Gerald Clayton “First Look” With Don Was
Gerald Clayton “A Light” (Animated Visualizer)
Gerald Clayton “First Look” with Don Was
SPOTLIGHT
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GERALD CLAYTON “BELLS ON SAND”
Six-time GRAMMY nominated artist Gerald Clayton returns with Bells On Sand, his ravishing second album for Blue Note Records. Recorded at Sam First in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Sound Design, the album features ten tracks of fresh orchestration and original music with contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on... read more
GERALD CLAYTON: WHAT’S HAPPENING
More than a music venue, New York’s Village Vanguard serves as a meeting place for past and present expression. Red double doors at the corner of 7th Avenue South and Perry Street swing open to reveal the transformation of a lineage through time. Historic sets from Miles, Coltrane, Carmen McRae, Monk and Horace Silver haunt the bandstand. And the artists who perform weeklong bookings work to... read more
News
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OUT OF/INTO RELEASE NEW SINGLE “GABALDON’S GLIDE”
The Blue Note Records story has unfolded over the past 85 years with equal regard for jazz’s past and its future, a seamless blend of tradition and innovation, and a mission to elevate the greatest young talent in jazz. Out Of/Into, the all-star collective that began its life earlier this year as the Blue Note... read more
ANNOUNCING “MOTION I” BY OUT OF/INTO FEATURING GERALD CLAYTON, JOEL ROSS, IMMANUEL WILKINS, KENDRICK SCOTT & MATT BREWER
The history of Blue Note Records is defined by a seamless blend of tradition and innovation. From the advent of hard bop to the label’s knack for elevating the greatest young talent in jazz, the Blue Note story has unfolded over the past 85 years with equal regard for jazz’s past and its future. Out Of/Into, the... read more
THE BLUE NOTE QUINTET TO EMBARK ON 2024 TOUR IN CELEBRATION OF BLUE NOTE’S 85th ANNIVERSARY
The Blue Note Quintet—an all-star collective comprised of Blue Note recording artists pianist and musical director Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and drummer Kendrick Scott, as well as bassist Matt Brewer—will embark on an extensive North American tour next month in... read more
GERALD CLAYTON & CHARLES LLOYD OFFER A “PEACE INVOCATION”
Pianist Gerald Clayton and saxophonist Charles Lloyd offer a transcendent duet performance on “Peace Invocation,” the third single to be revealed from Clayton’s gorgeous new Blue Note album Bells On Sand, which comes out April 1. “Peace Invocation” follows the release of the album’s opening track... read more
GERALD CLAYTON RELEASES STUNNING NEW SINGLE “DAMUNT DE TU NOMÉS LES FLORS”
Gerald Clayton has released “Damunt de tu Només les Flors,” the second single to be revealed from his ravishing new album Bells On Sand, which comes out April 1. The piece was written by the Catalan composer Federico Mompou and features the pianist with his father John Clayton on bass, Justin Brown on drums, and... read more
PIANIST GERALD CLAYTON RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM “BELLS ON SAND” OUT APRIL 1
Six-time GRAMMY nominated artist Gerald Clayton returns with Bells On Sand, his ravishing second album for Blue Note, which will be released April 1st on vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The album explores the impact and abstraction of time over ten tracks of fresh orchestration and original music with contributions... read more
CONGRATS GRAMMY NOMINEES: GERALD CLAYTON, AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, GREGORY PORTER, NORAH JONES & MAVIS STAPLES
Congratulations to all our Blue Note nominees for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards! Best Jazz Instrumental Album on the tender spot of every calloused moment - Ambrose Akinmusire Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard - Gerald Clayton Best Improvised Jazz Solo “Celia” - Gerald Clayton (soloist)... read more
GERALD CLAYTON RELEASES HIS BLUE NOTE DEBUT “HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD”
Pianist Gerald Clayton has released his Blue Note Records debut Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard, which was recorded at the legendary NYC jazz club with a quintet of longtime collaborators—Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, Joe Sanders on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on... read more
GERALD CLAYTON RELEASES NEW SINGLE “A LIGHT” FROM “HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD”
Pianist Gerald Clayton has released “A Light,” another new track from his forthcoming Blue Note Records debut Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard out July 10. Recorded at the legendary NYC jazz club with a quintet of longtime collaborators—Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, Walter Smith III on tenor... read more
GERALD CLAYTON TO RELEASE BLUE NOTE DEBUT “HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD” ON JULY 10
Pianist Gerald Clayton is set to release his Blue Note Records debut Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard on July 10. Recorded at the legendary NYC jazz club with a quintet of longtime collaborators—Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, Joe Sanders on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on... read more
Live Dates
Nov 22
Gerald Clayton
Keystone Korner Baltimore w/ Nicholas Payton, Baltimore United States
Nov 22
Gerald Clayton
Keystone Korner Baltimore w/ Nicholas Payton, Baltimore United States
Nov 23
Gerald Clayton
Jefferson Center w/ Nicholas Payton, Roanoke United States
Feb 04
Gerald Clayton
Botti at Sea '25, Fort Lauderdale United States
Feb 14
Gerald Clayton
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago United States
Mar 01
Gerald Clayton
SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco United States
