The Harker Concert Series is proud to present jazz pianist Gerald Clayton, recently nominated for his third Grammy award, who will perform with his Gerald Clayton Trio on Fri., Jan. 20, 2012 at 8 p.m. at the Harker upper school campus’ Nichols Hall auditorium. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Los Angeles, Clayton, 27, has become one of the most recognizable young talents in modern jazz, performing with masters such as Lewis Nash, Al Foster and Clark Terry.

Clayton, who has played to acclaim in the U.S. and Europe, has also received rave reviews from The New York Times,  The Los Angeles Times and DownBeat magazine, and in 2008 was recognized by the readers of DownBeat as one of the top emerging talents in jazz piano. His compositions have been performed by New York City’s Jazz Gallery and the BBC Orchestra.

He netted his first Grammy nominations in 2010 with a composition titled “Battle Circle.” The album on which it appeared, The Clayton Brothers’ release “The New Song and Dance,” which featured his father, John Clayton, on bass, was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, making the young Gerald a two-time nominee. His latest album, “Bond: The Paris Sessions,” was recently nominated for a Grammy award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Recorded in Paris, “Bond” finds Clayton and his band exhibiting what he calls “a new level of chemistry.”

Tickets for this event are available for $20 and can be purchased through the Harker Concert Series website. A pre-event reception will start at 7 p.m., and hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available. For more information, please contact communications@harker.org.