Gerald Clayton
Gerald was born on May 11, 1984 in Utrecht, The Netherlands and moved to the United States at a young age. He graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) in the summer of 2002 and received a Bachelor's of Music from the Jazz Studies program at USC in the Fall of 2006.
Gerald grew up in a musical family (his father is bassist/composer John Clayton and his uncle saxophonist Jeff Clayton) and was exposed to a variety of musical styles from a very young age. He studied classical piano with Mrs. Linda Buck and jazz piano and composition with Shelly Berg, Kenny Barron and Billy Childs.
Gerald was the winner of the 2001 Music Center Spotlight Awards and received the 'Outstanding Soloist' Award during the Monterey High School Jazz Competition in 2001 and 2002. He was also selected for the Grammy High School Big Band, comprised of high school students from the entire United States. Gerald was presented with the level 1 award by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA) in January of 2002. In the summer of 2002, he was named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and was asked to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In June of 2002, Gerald performed at Steinway Hall in New York and was presented with a scholarship award by the Music for Youth Foundation. In September of 2002, Gerald received the Shelley Manne Award for emerging young artists from the Los Angeles Jazz Society. In September of 2006, Gerald received Second Place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Piano Competition.
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August 10, 2016
Motema Music Presents Ben Wendel - What We Bring - Featuring Gerald...
February 21, 2014
Matt Slocum, Black Elk's Dream Available April 1, 2014 On Chandra...
March 14, 2013
Jazz This Week: Dan Hicks, John Clayton and Gerald Clayton, Lotte Anker...
October 11, 2012
Columbus Jazz Orchestra Opens 2012-13 Swingin' With The CJO Season With...
January 16, 2012
Gerald Clayton and Tamir Hendelman Will Play One for the Kids (at Moka)...
May 14, 2011
Gerald Clayton - Bond, the Paris Sessions (2011)
February 11, 2011
Hot Young Pianist Gerald Clayton Born into Jazz Experience
February 06, 2011
Grammy Nominee Gerald Clayton and His Trio Coming to the Exodus to Jazz...
June 10, 2010
13th Annual Spirit of Jazz Concert Series Hosted by Oris Watches and...
April 19, 2010
Gerald Clayton Supposes Tradition and Innovation Can Peacefully Exist