Gerald Clayton Trio (USA) – Mon 4 + Tues 5 November
@ Foundry616 jazz club – 616 Harris Street, Ultimo
WATCH OUT GERALD CLAYTON IS ABOUT!
And he’ll be at Foundry616 for two exclusive shows – November 4th and 5th
Only 29, he is an exhilarating, swinging pianist with exceptional technique and a clear sense of musical direction, regarded as one of the fastest-rising stars on the US jazz scene. In 2002 he won the Shelly Manne Award for Emerging Young Artist and a few years later he artist runner-up in the prestigious Thelonious Monk competition, now a three time Grammy nominee as well, Clayton is one of the newest and indeed one of the strongest forces, in the latest wave of African-American jazz musicians.
A pianist with a pure technique who can imply street sounds, r’n’b, soul/funk without abandoning a style based on a open reading of the jazz tradition, Clayton expresses himself with intelligence and purpose.
Downbeat’s Ted Panke wrote in 2009 that ”Clayton . . . stands out for his nuanced touch, precise articulation and the way he constructs a narrative for his solos”. A storyteller then who reaches out to the audience and takes them on a path he has chosen.
His role as audience guide is helped by a working trio. So what we’ll hear at Foundry616 is not a band hired for the tour “down-under” but his working band with Joe Sanders (bass) and Pete Van Nostrand (drums).
The Gerald Clayton Trio appears at Foundry 616 by special arrangement with the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues
