Jazz Articles about Clay Giberson

About Clay Giberson

Album Review

Clay Giberson: Moment's Notice

Read "Moment's Notice" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
October 13, 2026

Jazz fans with a history of listening to the innovators of the 20th century will recognise the title of Clay Giberson's trio outing, Moment's Notice, as a pick from saxophonist John Coltrane's 1958 Blue Note Album, Blue Train. It serves here as the set's closer, wrapping the show up with yet another touch of familiarity. Nine of Moments' Notice revisit the standards, tunes by Horace Silver ("Mayreh"), Keith Jarrett ("So Tender"), Wayne Shorter ("Beauty & The Beast"), and Charlie Haden ...

Album Review

Medler Sextet: River Paths

Read "River Paths" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 2, 2025

There are two Medlers in the Portland, Oregon-based Medler Sextet--tenor saxophonist Michelle and bassist Ben--who together comprise the nucleus of a sturdy ensemble whose harmonious empathy and distinctive point of view should please most advocates of thought-based contemporary jazz. Having said that, it should be noted that the studio date's all-original composition makeup--five charts by Ben Medler, another by Michelle--delivers songs that are acceptable but no more than that. In other words, there is nothing on offer ...

Album Review

Dan Wilensky: All In All

Read "All In All" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
November 20, 2020

Saxophonist Dan Wilensky--who has played with everyone from Ray Charles to David Bowie to Jack McDuff-- offered up his take on some familiar pop tunes (The Beatles, The Youngbloods), a touch of George Gershwin and some Sammy Cahn on his 2018 offering, Good Music (Polyglot Music). Now it is (mostly) all Wilensky originals, the result of a busy composing period that spanned the last two weeks of December 2019 the first week of January 2020, in which the saxophonist penned ...

Album Review

Clay Giberson: Pastures

Read "Pastures" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
October 26, 2016

Pianist Clay Giberson has a fifteen year resume of fine recordings on Seattle's Origin Records label. The discs are, for the most part, solo and trio outings, with the trio sets appearing under his own name or that of his long-standing Upper Left Trio. Some examples: Spaceton's Approach, (2008), and Minga Minga (2015) as Clay Giberson; and Sell Your Soul Side, (2006), and Ulternative, (2012), with the Upper Left Trio. With Pastures, the pianist goes the quartet mode, ...

Album Review

Clay Giberson: Minga Minga

Read "Minga Minga" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
August 16, 2015

From the mouth of his young daughter came the four playful syllables that don't mean a thing in the adult world, but Portland, Oregon-based pianist Clay Giberson took the idea--and the momentous event of the birth of his child--and went into the studio to record solo, every day for two weeks. The result is Minga Minga. Giberson's association with Origin Records has been a fruitful one, featuring a double handful of excellent albums, with his Upper Left Trio ...

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Album Review

Clay Giberson: Spaceton's Approach

Read "Spaceton's Approach" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
November 24, 2008

There's much to be said for holding a band together over the course of years and performances and album/CD releases, honing the familiarity, comfort level and the intricacies of interplay. Think of the two great Miles Davis Quintets, or Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio.There's also a lot to be said for the one-off affairs, the freshness and spontaneity and energy of a group of like-minded artists getting together for a single recording.Pianist Clay Giberson's working unit is ...

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Album Review

Clay Giberson: Aiming True, Volume 1

Read "Aiming True, Volume 1" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
January 17, 2004

Clay Giberson last crossed my radar playing with the Upper Room Trio on last year's well-received Cycling . His current release, Aiming True, Volume 1, is a solo piano excursion into moody, nocturnal climes. Is this jazz? Is this New Age? Does this belong on Hearts of Space ? Affirmative to all three. Labels are not important when the music performed is this finely crafted. Giberson is a careful composer, never wasting notes or harmonies. His playing shimmers with quiet ...