Words of John:
„I always look forward to playing with Gerald Clayton in a duo setting. We have a special musical conversation. It's a pleasure to organize a repertoire with a specific musician in mind to play it and Gerald is without question one of the best piano players I’ve ever worked with. From the first time we first played together, I knew that we were like-minded. It's always relaxed and intuitive when we make music together. I’ve known him since he was a boy because his dad, bassist John Clayton, is a long-time friend. I'd heard that Gerald was talented and several years back, he joined my Combo 66 band. He’ll be playing with me in 2025 in the revised Combo 73 Band! We've toured off and on over the years and developed a true rapport. I think he’s as good a pianist as you will find in jazz today and I am pleased to collaborate with him. His own bands and recordings are stellar, a gatekeeper to jazz in the modern world.“

Bio Gerald Clayton
Six-time GRAMMY nominated pianist-composer and Blue Note Artist Gerald Clayton searches for honest expression in every note. An alumnus of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, USC’s Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, Clayton won second place in the Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition in 2006. For the following decade, he toured globally both as a band leader and special guest sideman to critical and commercial acclaim, collaborating with such distinctive artists as Bill Frisell, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, John Scofield, and legendary band leader Charles Lloyd among many others. 
He currently serves as Director of Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and has served as Musical Director for Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour and the more recent Blue Note 85th Anniversary Tour. In April 2025, Blue Note records released “Ones & Twos” Clayton’s highly anticipated album featuring Elena Pinderhughes, Joel Ross, Marquis Hill, Kendrick Scott and Kassa Overall.