Possessing an exquisite touch, astonishing technique, and a sound that somehow combines the dynamic finesse of Ahmad Jamal with the hurtling swing of Oscar Peterson, six-time GRAMMY nominee Gerald Clayton ranks among the very best pianists of his generation. He returns for an evening of solo piano and collaboration with guests including trumpet star Ambrose Akinmusire and the masterful young vibraphonist Joel Ross.

Not yet 40, Clayton is a well-traveled veteran who has served as music director of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, released five highly regarded albums, and collaborated with artists including Roy Hargrove, Charles Lloyd, Diana Krall, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Terri Lyne Carrington. With a compositional approach inspired by studies with Billy Childs, Clayton is the scion of a jazz dynasty. The son of esteemed Los Angeles bassist/arranger John Clayton and nephew of the late alto saxophonist Jeff Clayton, he’s played and recorded with the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers (with whom he earned a GRAMMY nomination for a composition on 2010’s The New Song and Dance.)
This special night will recapture the magic of the May 2021 duo performance featuring Clayton and his father, the first concert with an audience we presented at the SFJAZZ Center after the pandemic shutdown.