Clayton Brothers Team Up With Wycliffe Gordon and Stefon Harris on New ArtistShare Release, The Gathering, Available November 6

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Acoustic Bass, African American, Alto Saxophone, ArtistShare, Clayton Brothers, Flute, Gerald Clayton, Jeff Clayton, John Clayton, Obed Calvaire, Stefon Harris, Terrell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon

“John Clayton is one of the most technically imposing bassists in jazz… Jeff maintains a sweet, preaching delivery; the Adderley influence runs deep in him.” – The New York Times

Clayton Brothers, THE GATHERING

“John and Jeff Clayton are two of the most soulful, swinging siblings on the planet.” – NPR “JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater”

Stream Tracks From The Gathering

A new Clayton Brothers release is always a family affair – not only due to the actual blood ties of siblings John and Jeff Clayton and son/nephew Gerald, but in the sense that quintet-mates Terell Stafford and Obed Calvaire have become part of the Claytons’ extended musical family through years of touring and recording.

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Reggie Quinerly -][- MUSIC INSPIRED BY FREEDMAN TOWN – [Redefinition Music, 2012] –

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Antione Drye, Clinician, Composer, Corey King, Drummer, Educator, Enoch Smith Jr., Gerald Clayton, Houston TX, Marr Parker, Mike Moreno, Redefinition Music, Reggie Quinerly, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Tim Warfield, Vicente Archer

Reggie Quinerly, MUSIC INSPIRED BBY FREEDMAN TOWN

Reggie Quinerly -][- MUSIC INSPIRED BY FREEDMAN TOWN – [Redefinition Music, 2012] –

Originally from Houston, Texas, Reggie Quinerly began playing the drums at an early age. His dedication and curious nature led his parents to search out private instructors Lester Grant and Samuel Dinkins III who would challenge and hone his musical skills.

After graduating from the renowned High School for the Visual and Performing Arts (HSPVA) he made his transition into the New York jazz scene, continuing his studies at the New School University. Since relocating in 1999 he has performed with the likes of saxophonist Joe Lovano, NEA Jazz Master Von Freeman, Branford Marsalis, Seamus Blake, James Spaulding, Greg Osby, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and pianist John Hicks. He has also had the fortune of learning from master drummers Jimmy Cobb, Joe Chambers, Michael Carvin, Lewis Nash and Kenny Washington. Another recent achievement includes the completion of his Master’s degree from The Juilliard School’s Jazz division.

The 2012 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, July 6-15, Announces Its Full Program

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Ambrose Akinmusire, Brad Mehldau Trio, Christian Scott Quintet, Dave Douglas, Gerald Clayton, Jim Hall Quintet, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Vijay Iyer Trio, Wayne Shorter

“New Orleans and New York are renowned for being the world epicentres of jazz, but leave State-side to find yourself in Europe, and there’s truly only one city that approaches that same spirit, passion and swing: Copenhagen, called by some ‘Europe’s Jazz Capital’.” – The Copenhagen Post

“The richness of Denmark’s jazz tradition is beyond question. The country whose love of the music once embodied resistance to the Nazis and later offered a comfortable home to American exiles such as Stan Getz, Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon continues to breed formidable new talents and ideas nearly nine decades after its first homegrown artists appeared. But knowing this doesn’t prepare one for the mammoth scope of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Its sheer size-the most lightly programmed of its 10 days (of which this writer saw the final five) featured 76 performances-is overwhelming by itself, even without considering its stylistic and international breadth.”
– Michael J. West – JazzTimes

First Annual International Jazz Day [4-27-2012]

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Barbara Hendricks, Bireli Lagrene, Chaka Khan, Danilo Pérez, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Eli Degibri, Esperanza Spalding, Gerald Clayton, Herbie Hancock, Hugh Masekela, Jimmy Heath, John Beasley, LIONEL LOUEKE, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Wayne Shorter

International Jazz Day to be Celebrated with All-Star Concerts in Paris, New Orleans and New York Video Streams of all 3 Concerts Live on Jazz Day and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz

Herbie Hancock

On Friday, April 27, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock will kick-off the first annual International Jazz Day with a full day of events including live performances, Master Classes, and discussions featuring Marcus Miller, Barbara Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, plus much more. Please visit http://unesco.org for complete details.

The day will conclude in a concert of jazz luminaries including: Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Swan Berger, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Igor Butman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gerald Clayton, Klaus Doldinger, Dominique Fillon, Antonio Hart, Barbara Hendricks, Nicole Slack Jones, Manu Katché, Eric Lagnini, Bireli Lagrene, Jean Felix Lalanne, Nguyen Le, Lionel Loueke, Michel El Malem, Tania Maria, Hugh Masekela, Marcus Miller, China Moses, Michael Rodriguez, Isphar Sarabski, Ben Williams, and many others. John Beasley will serve as Musical Director.

Flux Jazz Essentials for 2011?

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African American, Ambrose Akinmusire, Bass, Ben Williams, Christian Scott, David Binney, David Sanchez, Drums, Eric Harland, Fabian Almazan, Female Vocalist, Flux Jazz Essentials 2011, Flux Music Essentials, Gerald Clayton, Gretchen Parlato, Hiromi, Itai Kriss, Joshua Redman, Miguel Zenón, Miles Español, Piano, Rez Abbasi, Saxophone, Sean Jones, Stefon Harris, Terri Lyne Carrington, Trumpet, Yellowjackets

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to my fellow jazz enthusiasts, as always it’s great to be with you. Although, it’s been an extremely stressful year economically and politically for so many globally I’m thankful regardless for those of us who are still here despite the mayhem that’s currently causing all this strife and pain. With that said, as a optimist times like this has a tendency to draw us closer to our love ones, make new friends and on the entertainment side of the spectrum expand our music collection to give us a positive outlet to delve into. In this case, as music goes so far this has been an exceptional year jazz wise. Therefore, this among many reasons led me to return and share with you a few of my favorite jazz albums that I stumbled into this year. If you haven’t, I hope that you find time to listen some of these titles (their well worth your effort). If not, please share with us some of your favorite recordings you’ve embraced this year. Thanks in advance, I’ll be delighted to hear from you!

The following selections in no particular order are some of my favorite Jazz albums for 2011!

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In my absence, I appreciate those of you who drop by and followed me on Twitter at your convince. One thing for sure, I plan to return in the near future to continue sharing with you some of the finest jazz, news, and reviews available.

Until then, take care and God bless.

Rob Young |The Urban Flux [… is jazz with abstract xpressions shaped by vibrant and unique voices!]

New JAZZ Releases for the Week of 5/10/2011

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Gerald Clayton, Jazz, Mads Vinding, Mezzoforte, New Releases, Steve Khan

Greeting’s jazz aficionados, as always I’m delighted to present the latest jazz releases this week. With each visit, you’ll discover a montage of new jazz recordings featured at Amazon.com that encompasses a generous diet of nuances which includes a wealth of complex and distinctive styles, textures, melodies, and rhythms exalted by a host of definitive and creative voices in the world of jazz.

For more details, please visit Amazon.com for a complete list of jazz releases for Tuesday (5/10/2011)!

..:: SOURCE: Amazon.com ::..

Gerald Clayton -][- BOND: The Paris Sessions [Emarcy / Pgd]

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Gerald Clayton, Jazz, New Releases, Piano

Gerald Clayton, BOND (The Paris Sessions)

Gerald Clayton -][- BOND: The Paris Sessions – [Emarcy / Pgd, 2011]

A quarter of the age of Jazz, Gerald Clayton stakes his claim in the history and the present of this vital music with the following words, “Tradition and innovation can peacefully coexist.” In libraries and on drawing-boards around the country this statement might be true, but with Gerald behind the piano this coexistence is anything but peaceful.

His dynamic and award-winning sound has been praised in print by the Jazz Times and Los Angeles Times. The New York Times has saluted his “Oscar-Peterson like style” and “huge, authoritative presence” and Down Beat Magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Poll named him one of the top up-and-coming pianists to watch. As a composer, his work has been commissioned by the Jazz Gallery in New York City and performed overseas by the BBC Orchestra. He has been honored with a Level 1 award by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA), the title “Presidential Scholar in the Arts,” and second place in the Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Piano Competition. Dodging early pressures to emerge as a prodigy, Gerald instead honed his talents and his resolve to ensure that this next generation is never lacking for intricate, swinging pieces and performances that are steeped in tradition while always facing the future. —BIOGRAPHY | Gerald Clayton

BOND: The Paris Sessions coming this May, 2011.

..:: SOURCE: Gerald Clayton.com ::..

Flux Music [Jazz] Essentials … [Garrett, Return to Forever, Sanchez, Clayton & Jones]

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Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Jazz, Kenny Garrett, Return to Forever, Sean Jones

Flux Music Essentials

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, it’s a pleasure to be with as we delve deeper into the infinite treasures of music to expand the provocative and youthful voices as we encounter them on this wonderful musical exodus of tantalizing yet satisfying blend of original jazz that’s shaken and stirred to perfection from the shelves of “Flux Music Essentials.”

Kenny Garrett - Simply Said

Kenny Garrett -\\- Simply Said – [Warner Jazz, 1999]

The widest range of stylistic and emotional expression of any recent jazz album – beautiful compositions, played masterfully by superb musicians – what’s not to love? Furthermore, this is one of those rare recordings that is a composition in itself; the order of the tunes is carefully chosen so that each complements the previous, and leads you to the next.

Lots of folks put down this CD for being too “smooth jazzy”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a contemporary musician, how can he not be aware of and influenced by R&B and funk? Kenny Garrett played with Miles Davis in a funk/jazz setting, and has appeared with Marcus Miller both live and on record. The history of jazz is intertwined with the history of popular music. Don’t forget that all of the so-called “standards” are just pop tunes from Broadway shows. It’s the performance that counts in jazz, and with Kenny Garrett, you will never hear anything but a superlative performance.

This is one of those few recordings that stand repeated (and repeated!) listening, each time revealing something new. I have owned 5 copies of this CD, I keep having to buy new ones because I give them away to my friends, “You have GOT to hear this!”

I own every one of Kenny Garrett’s CDs (and many more upon which he appears). This is his best recorded effort; and that is surely saying something. If I could give it 100 stars, I would. —Steve Keller /Amazon.com

Gerald Clayton | Two-Shade

Tags

African American, Gerald Clayton, Jazz, Piano

Gerald Clayton | Listen: Two-Shade – [Decca UK, 2009]

Gerald Clayton, Two-Shade

Gerald Clayton was born on May 11, 1984 in Utrecht, The Netherlands and moved to the United States at a young age. 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 has received numerous awards over the past years: He was the winner of the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 2001. In 2002 Gerald was presented with the “level 1” award by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA), was named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and received a scholarship award from the Music for Youth Foundation. He also 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.