Trio has played, lived, worked together

No, Clayton had a different bond in mind, the one that unites people. The 2011 album title refers specifically to Clayton’s satisfying work with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown.

“We did a lot of bonding. So I felt it was appropriate to set a record around that concept,” Clayton said in a phone interview from St. Louis, Mo.

“At the time (of the recording) the trio had spent a lot of time on the road together and we did a lot of playing at home.”

The three musicians even lived in the same apartment building.

Sanders and Brown have been members of Clayton’s trio for more than four years. They had first met in a Grammy-sponsored high school all-star band.

	Gerald Clayton Trio WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4 WHERE: Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale SE HOW MUCH: $25 general public, $20 students and Outpost members in advance at the Outpost, by calling 268-0044 or at the door

Three of the CD’s 15 cuts relate to the “bonding” concept – “Bond: The Cast,” “Bond: Fresh Squeeze” and “Bond: The Release.”

Except for several tunes, Clayton wrote all of the compositions on the album over the previous two years.

The CD received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Album of the Year.

The trio will be in concert Thursday, April 4, at the Outpost Performance Space.

The album is subtitled “The Paris Sessions,” which takes note of the fact that the recording was made in Paris.

“There was something really special about the studio and the environment. I thought this was a dream situation,” Clayton said.

For the recording, Clayton said he played a Fazioli, an Italian-made piano.

“It’s an amazing instrument. It feels like butter. Herbie Hancock only plays them,” he said.

In about a week, the trio’s next CD, “Life Forum,” is to be released. But it will feature other musician-friends. It will be Clayton’s first recording on the Concord label.