Thu 4/16 @ 7:30PM
Pianist Gerald Clayton is, at 3o, one of the rising stars of jazz. He’s got the training — he attended the prestigious University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. And he’s got the bloodline — his father is noted bassist/bandleader John Clayton who teaches at Thornton. He’s already played on albums by performers like Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove and Terri Lyne Carrington, and he’s got half a dozen albums under his own name.
Clayton has been in town as part of Tri-C JazzFest’s year-round programming. He and his trio have been part of educational events with high school and college musicians, and they performed at Tri-C and Mahall’s in Lakewood on Tuesday. Also performing with them at both locations was the Berklee College of Music Next Generation Ensemble, a group of elite players from the noted Boston school, under the direction of jazz drummer/faculty member Terri Lyne Carrington.
They’ll all move down to Akron for a night of music at Blu Jazz. The Berklee students will take the stage at 7:30; Clayton’s trio goes on at 8:30pm.
Admission is $15, which includes both sets.
blujazzakron.com/gerald-clayton-trio/