Gerald Clayton Trio

The Gerald Clayton Trio is a popular music band that has given a new meaning to jazz music by bridging the history of this genre of music. The trio includes Joe Sanders on bass, Justin Browns on drums while Gerald Clayton is at the forefront with piano. Though the band members are in their twenties their music caters to the older generation as well. Therefore, Gerald Clayton Trio tickets are a source of enjoyment for every age group and every member of your family.
 
Gerald Clayton started learning classical piano at the age of seven. By the time he graduated from high school he was chosen for scholarship as one of four musicians who were to perform at Steinway Hall. In 2002 he accepted the Shelly Manne Award from the Los Angeles Jazz Society for ‘Emerging Young Artist’. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies. He also stood second in the Jazz Piano Competition that took place at the Thelonious Mont Institute. During the winters of 2006 and 2007, Gerald relocated to New York which is now also his current city of residence. As a matter of convenience, the other two members of the group, Joe Sanders and Justin Browns share the same building as Clayton.
 
Besides having a rich knowledge of Jazz music and history, Clayton also had other sources to learn from. His family has a strong base in the field of music. His father John Clayton is a bass player while his uncle, Jeff Clayton is a saxophonist. Together they have built groups by the name of Clayton Brothers and Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Gerald Clayton plays the piano while performing alongside his father and uncle in the shows of both the bands.
 
Clayton met his band mates for Gerald Clayton Trio in the Grammy Jazz Ensembles. The group brought forth the all star high school musicians to perform during the lead up events to the Grammy Awards. It is important to mention here that in 2009, Gerald Clayton was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Improvised Jazz Solo. This comes as a huge achievement for an artist who had been in the mainstream music industry for few years only. The following year he received another Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for Battle Circle, a track featured in the Clayton Brothers album ‘New Song and Dance’.
 
Gerald Clayton’s music sensibilities are a blend of his studies, his strong family music base and other influences such as Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Monty Alexander and Ray Brown to name a few. He has also invested a considerable amount of time with Roy Hargrove, the master of trumpet. However, his father John Clayton remains the most important influence who had a profound impact on the musician’s growth and talent. According to the pianist, the main thing that he strives to achieve through his musical compositions is to produce an expression that has a fresh and lasting effect on the listener. For this purpose he makes use of his knowledge of jazz and classical tradition and blends it into the contemporary form of the genre in a manner that is indistinguishable to the audience. He excels in this art as his compositions have a strong sense of rhythm and flow that is immensely pleasing to the ear.
 
Gerald Clayton has been praised by the New York Times for his ‘huge authoritative presence’ and ‘Oscar Peterson like style’. The reader’s Poll 2008 by the Down Beat Magazine has named him as one of the top upcoming piano performers.
 
The trio’s individual as well as collective strong control and technique skills are bound to leave you amazed. Joe Sander’s improvisations and references to hip hop and neo soul along with his minimalist lines leave the spectators asking for more. On the other hand drummer Justin Browns provides for the dancing element at regular intervals of the performance while Gerald Clayton makes every note so unforgettable that it continues to play in your ears long after the performance has ended. If you are looking for an ultimate musical experience that flows from tradition to contemporary, then Gerald Clayton Trio tickets are certainly meant for you.