Product Code Database
Gerald William Clayton (born May 11, 1984) is a Dutch-born American jazz pianist and composer.
He has performed and recorded with Roy Hargrove, Diana Krall, Ben Wendel, Dianne Reeves, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, Ben Williams, Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts, Michael Rodriguez, Avishai Cohen, Sachal Vasandani, Gretchen Parlato, and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. Clayton also has enjoyed an extended association since early 2013, touring and recording with saxophone legend, Charles Lloyd. 2016 marks his second year as Musical Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, a project that features his trio with Ravi Coltrane, Nicolas Payton, and Raul Midón.
In 2012 and 2013, Clayton received Grammy nominations for The Paris Sessions (Concord) and Life Forum (Concord). In 2010, he was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for "Battle Circle", which is featured on the Clayton Brothers album, New Song and Dance. In 2009, he was nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for his solo on Cole Porter's "All of You" from his debut album, Two-Shade. His nomination competed with established jazz musicians Terence Blanchard and Roy Hargrove, with whom Clayton toured for several years.
The Clayton Brothers' Brother to Brother received a nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category. Gerald Clayton plays piano on the album, which holds loosely to a theme of songs that were made famous by Thad Jones, Hank Jones and Elvin Jones. Clayton's piano playing was described by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times as "filling up the available space" with Clayton "busying himself with prettiness and authority...If you've listened to much hard bop or mainstream jazz of the early '60s, you might find some easygoing clichés in his playing – or maybe even an awful lot of them – but they are smoothly rendered. More important, the friendly rhetoric of this music allows them."
Clayton is the son of American jazz bassist John Clayton.
| + List of studio albums with details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Details ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions |
| + List of collaborative albums with details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Details ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions |
| + List of live albums with details and chart positions ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Details |
| + List of singles as lead artist with year and album name ! scope="col" style="width:16em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:1em;" | Year ! scope="col" | Album |
| + List of singles as featured artist with year and album name ! scope="col" style="width:16em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:1em;" | Year ! scope="col" | Album |
| + List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artist(s) featured, and album name ! scope="col" style="width:16em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:1em;" | Year ! scope="col" | Other artist(s) ! scope="col" | Album |
| 2023 | Vicente Archer | Short Stories |
| 2020 | Charles Lloyd | |
| 2018 | John Scofield | Combo 66 |
| 2016 | Peter Bernstein | Let Loose |
| 2016 | Ben Wendel | What We Bring |
| 2015 | Matthew Stevens | Woodwork |
| 2013 | Terri Lyne Carrington | |
| 2011 | Ambrose Akinmusire | When the Heart Emerges Glistening |
| 2010 | Dick Oatts & Terell Stafford Quintet | Bridging the Gap |
| 2009 | Melissa Morgan | Until I Met You |
| 2009 | Roy Hargrove | Emergence |
| 2008 | Roy Hargrove | Earfood |
| 2006 | Diana Krall | From This Moment On |
| 2006 | Diana Krall | Christmas Songs |
| 2006 | Roberta Gambarini | Easy to Love |
| 2005 | Laura Welland | Dissertation on the State of Bliss |
| 2004 | Teedra Moses | Complex Simplicity |
| 2003 | Bobby Rodriguez | Trumpet Talk |
| Best Improvised Jazz Solo | "Celia" (Bud Powell) | |
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