Gerald Clayton Quartet
The fall Jazz at TSRI series opens with the Gerald Clayton Quartet, featuring pianist/composer Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Logan Richardson, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Kendrick Scott. A four-time Grammy-nominee and finalist in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition, Clayton is widely recognized as one of the leading jazz pianists of his generation. Son of bass legend John Clayton and a member of the Clayton Brothers Quintet, his career includes recordings and performances with a constellation of major artists, including Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, and Dianne Reeves. His most recent Athenaeum appearances have been with the bands of John Scofield and Charles Lloyd. This fall he returns at the head of his own stellar ensemble. The New York Times wrote: “A remarkable player, he seems to understand what our ear wants—blooming harmony, melodic improvisations, firm landings—and how to deliver it.” JazzTimes commented, “Of the new generation of jazz pianists to arrive after Brad Mehldau, Jason Moran and Vijay Iyer, Gerald Clayton has generated the biggest buzz on the street. His postmodern version of the tradition is highly imaginative and distinctive.” This concert is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the Western Jazz Presenters Network.