Ben Ratliff on Gerald Clayton

"The pianist Gerald Clayton played the first set of his first night of his first week at the Village Vanguard on Tuesday. … His father is the bassist John Clayton, and his uncle is the saxophonist Jeff Clayton, players of accessible virtuosity: heavy chops, temperate concepts. As a high schooler Gerald Clayton became part of the Grammy Foundation’s jazz ensembles, providing music for pre-telecast events. He’s had steady work in the family business, as a member of the Clayton Brothers Quartet, and he’s also toured with Roy Hargrove’s band. By 2006, when I saw him at the Thelonious Monk Competition in Washington, he was eminently impressive, but he kept waiting to make his move. He moved to New York, formed a trio with the bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, and last year put out his first record, 'Two-Shade,' on ArtistShare, the fan-supported jazz label. (It earned him a Grammy nomination, for best improvised jazz solo.) Now 'Two-Shade' has been picked up by Sunnyside. He’s only 25, but he hasn’t rushed. Perhaps because he inherited so much aesthetic knowledge, Mr. Clayton seems from a different era" ("Gerald Clayton Trio: 1950s Sophistication, Current Dynamics," New York Times, 2/11/10).