It is always exciting to find out about new projects. The musical snippets that the artists share with us only whets my appetite for the finished product. I'm sure that you all feel that way about music, too. :)
From Concord Jazz:
PIANIST GERALD CLAYTON SET TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM WITH CONCORD JAZZ LIFE FORUM APRIL 2, 2013
Life Forum Creates a Meeting Place for Meaningful Musical Exchange
Pianist Gerald Clayton will release his debut recording with Concord Jazz, Life Forum, on April 2, 2013 (international release dates may vary). This 12-song set combines Clayton's highly skilled trio members, bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown with saxophonists Logan Richardson and Dayna Stephens and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Vocalists Gretchen Parlato and Sachal Vasandani and poet Carl Hancock Rux complete the ensemble.
Clayton is an artist who does not work in a vacuum. Clayton is recognized by peers and public alike to hungrily seek opportunities which allow for creative musical exchanges with other artists. And he understands that any successful artistic venture requires listening as much as expressing, open-mindedness as well as respect for the input of others. It requires leadership and, most importantly, demands a shared love for the art form and each other. Clayton understands that these are the conditions that create a forum for something truly magical to emerge.
Clayton's recording, Life Forum, testifies to these values.