John Clayton Teams Up With Gerald Clayton and René Marie for “Two-O-Duo”
Jazz bassist and renowned educator John Clayton has released Two-o Duo, marking his eighth album as a leader. The effort teams him up with his son, pianist Gerald Clayton, and vocalist René Marie. Although the project began as an examination of the duo setting, Clayton seized the opportunity to expand to a few trio songs when they were all in the studio together.
“Some really magical things happened,” Clayton says of the sessions. “If you’re close with somebody and you’re in the room with them, both of you feel the closeness that you share. There’s no word for it. It’s intangible. But it’s very real.”
Each of the 11 songs are also personal for their choices. Two-o Duo spans genres, from Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday” to Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.” Clayton picked song with Marie to reflect her own taste.
“She’s not just singing jazz tunes,” says Clayton. “She’s singing songs that she would hear on AM radio, for instance, and pop hits. She’ll just walk around her house singing these tunes and the next thing you know, she’s asking her group if she can do these songs. She’s always been like that, which is a cool thing that I’ve always loved about her.”
Other tracks include Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time,” “Martin Rojas’ “En La Orilla del Mundo,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and more. Overall, the record is about connection and a tribute to family and friendship.
“There’s always something spiritual about people who are related. It usually isn’t conscious and it doesn’t always have to be in your face,” Clayton says. “There’s some kind of line unspoken that’s going through there. I may not be related to René but we’re sharing energy. And the audience may not know what’s going on but they’re going to feel something, too.”
Two-o Duo is available now on CD and as a download via Artistshare.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
