Gerald Clayton (Netherlands-born jazz pianist)

Gerald William Clayton (born May 11, 1984) is a Dutch-born American jazz pianist and composer. Clayton attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; USC's Thornton School of Music, where he studied piano with Billy Childs; and the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Kenny Barron.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] Clayton also has enjoyed an extended association since early 2013, touring and recording with saxophone legend, Charles Lloyd.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] In 2012 and 2013, Clayton received Grammy nominations for The Paris Sessions (Concord) and Life Forum (Concord).[citation needed] In 2010, he was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for "Battle Circle", which is featured on the Clayton Brothers album, New Song and Dance.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] His nomination competed with established jazz musicians Terence Blanchard and Roy Hargrove, with whom Clayton toured for several years.[citation needed] The Clayton Brothers' Brother to Brother received a nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category.[citation needed] Gerald Clayton plays piano on the album, which holds loosely to a theme of songs that were made famous by Thad, Hank and Elvin Jones.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] "Gerald Clayton - Bluenote". Bluenote. "The Clayton Brothers". December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2009. "Gerald Clayton — Chart History: Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021. "Gerald Clayton — Chart History: Traditional Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021. "Two-Shade by Gerald Clayton". Apple Music. Retrieved March 13, 2021. Dryden, Ken. "Gerald Clayton – Bond: The Paris Sessions: Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November 2025. "Life Forum by Gerald Clayton". Apple Music. Retrieved March 13, 2021. "Tributary Tales by Gerald Clayton". Apple Music. Retrieved March 13, 2021. Bells on Sand - Gerald Clayton | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-06-07 Ones & Twos - Gerald Clayton | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-06-07 Ones & Twos (Expanded Edition) by Gerald Clayton on Apple Music, 2025-05-30, retrieved 2025-06-07 "Gerald Clayton — Chart History: Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021. "Gerald Clayton — Chart History: Traditional Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021. Short Stories by Vicente Archer, Gerald Clayton & Bill Stewart on Apple Music, 2023-06-09, retrieved 2025-06-07 Motion I - Matt Brewer, Gerald Clayton, Out Of... | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-06-07 "Happening: Live at The Village Vanguard by Gerald Clayton". Apple Music. Retrieved March 13, 2021. "Gerald Clayton - Awards and Nominations". Grammys. December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2021. Gerald Clayton official website