LACHSA alumnus Gerald Clayton ’02, will be performing at LACHSApalooza and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to see this outstanding pianist and composer, as well as seven-time Grammy nominee! Clayton is one of the most compelling jazz pianists of his generation and is known for his harmonies, as well as his ability to balance his musical heritage and fearless exploration. Over the past two decades, Clayton has built an extraordinary career that reflects his versatility and love of music.
Born in the Netherlands and raised in the United States, he grew up in a richly musical family. He was surrounded by creativity—his father, bassist and composer John Clayton, and his uncle, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, were powerful role models and instilled in him a dedication to the craft. “My family’s always been very close, and my dad was always a hero to me,” Clayton says. “I adored him, and I still do. So, it made sense that I would go down a similar path.” His family not only gave him a love of jazz but the guiding principle: to serve the music with sincerity and purpose. “This idea of serving the music comes with the territory. It’s in my blood,” he says.
He went further with his musical exploration at LACHSA, where he not only honed his craft, but also earned recognition such as the 2002 Presidential Scholar of the Arts Award. He told us, “I feel a tremendous amount of pride and honor to be a part of the LACHSA family. Those years had an immeasurable impact on my life. Being surrounded by so many creative people at that age gave me the courage to dream bigger— to strive for a life and artistic ideal far beyond what I had ever imagined before. I am forever grateful for the incredible teachers and students that I learned from at LACHSA.”
After LACHSA, he went onto USC, where his teachers included Billy Childs. As he developed as an artist, Los Angeles would work its way into Clayton’s sound. “Expressing joy is definitely an important aspect of the music in L.A., and that’s always been at my core,” says Clayton. “That joy is an extension of natural and social elements of the city—the sunshine, the positivity.”
“I feel a tremendous amount of pride and honor to be a part of the LACHSA family. Those years had an immeasurable impact on my life. Being surrounded by so many creative people at that age gave me the courage to dream bigger— to strive for a life and artistic ideal far beyond what I had ever imagined before. I am forever grateful for the incredible teachers and students that I learned from at LACHSA.”
After Los Angeles, Clayton moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music. There he found a community of like-minded artists and was inspired by the city’s intensity. His musical growth in New York City helped him find and form a dynamic trio with drummer Justin Brown and bassist Joe Sanders, defining his voice through this collaboration.
His early promise quickly became professional acclaim: he won second place in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition and soon began performing with major artists including Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, and Gretchen Parlato, who is also a LACHSA alum and will be performing at LACHSApalooza!
As a bandleader, he’s created music that ranges from the intimate Bells on Sand to the electrifying Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard. “I’m trying to make art that, first and foremost, sounds beautiful,” he says. “That entails all of what I would deem beautiful—a personal harmony between tension and release that changes as I evolve and grow.” His debut album Two-Shade earned a GRAMMY nomination in 2010, and subsequent releases such as Bond: The Paris Sessions and Life Forum showcased his artistry and won him additional nominations. Whether performing solo, leading his ensembles, or collaborating with jazz luminaries, Clayton brings innovation, emotional depth, and technical mastery that place him firmly at the forefront of contemporary jazz.
Clayton’s influence remains at LACHSA. In the recent Jazz Combos performance in Caroline’s Loft, the music student artists performed two of Clayton’s pieces.
