JOHN CLAYTON

TWO-O DUO

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John Clayton, bass; Gerald Clayton, piano/composer; René Marie, vocals/composer.

This is the eighth album release for the iconic bassist, composer and band leader, John Clayton.  This time he surprises us with a trio album featuring his bass, his talented son’s piano, and the vocals of René Marie. John explains this project by saying:

“This is an exploration of what happens when artists who are deeply linked to each other share a room.  They create something that is felt rather than defined.  It’s intangible, yet unmistakably real,” Clayton writes in his press package about the studio session experience.

They open with “Blue Bayou” a song not necessarily associated with a jazz repertoire. However, Rene Marie comfortably delivers it in a way that is both endearing and jazzy. This is followed by an original composition by Gerald Clayton called “Nail in Need.”  This time, only he and his father interpret this original tune that features Gerald’s harmonic concept with plush piano chords that introduce the melody. John holds the bass line in perfect place, until the piano story turns into a rich, raw blues. Then, the bass walks and skips along beneath the enticing groove. Gerald’s improvised solo is stellar.

A Carole King song comes next titled “Beautiful.”  René Marie returns with her own provocative stylized delivery.  Every word she sings is clearly enunciated with the meaning of the lyrics delivered like any good storyteller would.

René Marie is also a composer and has written “On the Day You Were Born.” It opens with John’s bass line and René Marie’s vocals entering like a ray of moonlight dancing on a calm water. When she breaks into poetry, Gerald Clayton’s piano joins the monologue to add jazzy depth to her presentation.

This morphs into an awesome classically flavored delivery of “En La Orilla Del Mundo” where John pulls out his bow to tenderly deliver his creative solo.  I love René Marie’s interpretation of Ellington’s famed “Come Sunday.”

Here is an album full of magnificent arrangements, that present challenging harmonics, lying beneath the vocals like a lush garden of many varied flowers. The bouquet of music that unfolds is lovely, extremely musical for only three players, full of colorful, unexpected arrangements with a sense of peace and beauty.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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