Gerald Clayton Presents The GC New Duo w/ Aja Monet + Special Guest TBA

Just Jazz TV + Gerald Clayton Presents The GC New Duo with Aja Monet + Special Guest TBA. Limited capacity (30), socially distanced gallery seating. Mask required. Hosted by LeRoy Downs. Produced by Just Jazz TV at Mr Musichead Gallery. Visit www.justjazz.tv for more information. Please bring picture ID.

Gerald Clayton Bio

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 four-time 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, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, John Scofield Ben Williams, Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts, Michael Rodriguez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen, Peter Bernstein 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 has featured his trio along with Ravi Coltrane, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard and Raul Midón on guitar and vocals.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.

Capturing the truth in each moment’s conception of sound comes naturally to Clayton. The son of beloved bass player 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.

In the 2016-17 year, Clayton turns 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 will explore a mixed media performance that features some of the most resonating voices in contemporary music.

Aja Monet Bio

Aja Monet is an American contemporary poet, writer, lyricist and activist.

In addition to my love of poetry, I am a cultural worker, organizer, and strategist. My passion for art and language has helped influence and inspired my approach towards imagining and rethinking how we shift and shape culture. Art & Culture is the air we breathe and it is critical to how we make a meaningful impact in the world. Over the past five years, I have worked closely with organizations, artists, and companies as an advisor and consultant. I work in different capacities to help with creating strategy and assessing skills for achieving goals whether they be specific campaigns, political education, civic engagement, or artistic projects. My skills have allowed me to moderate panels, facilitate workshops, curate and organize events, and develop infrastructure for social responsibility and accountability. I support artists and organizations in cultivating new narratives, building and strengthening relationships, and brainstorming ideas. If we want to transform the material conditions of our lives we must foster a culture of creativity and new value making that best represents inclusion and democracy. I support, encourage, and look forward to more people and companies practicing cooperative economics. There can be no true equity and justice if all who work and labor day to day do not bear the benefits of that labor fairly distributed. I offer constructive and effective professional advice and I have a wide network of relationships and community to lean on but also to hold me accountable. This is what makes for effective transformational justice.