Two-Shade
2009 studio album by Gerald Clayton
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Two-Shade is a studio album by American jazz pianist Gerald Clayton, featuring a jazz trio comprising long-time friends and collaborators Joe Sanders on double bass and Justin Brown on drums. His discographic debut as a leader, the project was fan-funded and released by the ArtistShare label on July 1, 2009.[1][dead link]
| Two-Shade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1, 2009 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 68:27 | |||
| Label | ArtistShare | |||
| Gerald Clayton chronology | ||||
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Concept
In an interview with Nextbop, Clayton explained that the album's musical concept is "about taking two opposite ideas and putting them together in order to create a new sound... [featuring] jazz, some hip hop and a lot of improvisation." However, he prefaced, "people become close minded towards music that they've never even listened to, because it's classified under a certain genre".[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [3] |
| AllMusic | [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
According to All About Jazz, "Clayton has not only learned from the great Jazz masters before him but he embodies [their] spirit and the language", with the review characterizing the results as "not only stunning but fresh, original and distinctly the music of today".[6] A review by Ben Ratliff for The New York Times, found it a "wide-ranging, self-confident album, and a fluent, bobbing-and-weaving relationship with the bassist... and the drummer".[7] Additionally, Michael Nastos of AllMusic wrote, "There's a lyrical and ethereal approach to all of the selections – elusive, lithe, quicksilver, Zen-like, very articulate, and always intriguing to the point where it tempts, pull you in, and envelops your soul."[4]
A 90% rating was awarded by specialist website Jazz.com for this "must-hear debut release" on which "Clayton's apparent skills as a composer foreshadow the impact that he will have on jazz in the years to come".[8][dead link] JazzWeek Radio, which determines national airplay for the top-fifty jazz and smooth-jazz recordings in the US and Canada,[9][dead link] listed Two-Shade as 12th on its chart for August 10, 2009,[10] debuting at 25th on its July 1 release.[11][dead link]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Gerald Clayton except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Boogablues" | 6:05 | |
| 2. | "Trapped In a Dream" | 6:32 | |
| 3. | "Two Heads One Pillow" | 6:24 | |
| 4. | "Peace for the Moment" | 7:30 | |
| 5. | "All of You" | Cole Porter | 5:29 |
| 6. | "Love All Around" (interlude) | 2:13 | |
| 7. | "Casiotone Pothole" | 7:16 | |
| 8. | "One Two You" | 6:24 | |
| 9. | "Sunny Day Go" | 6:44 | |
| 10. | "Scrimmage" | 6:33 | |
| 11. | "You're Out" (interlude) | 1:04 | |
| 12. | "Con Alma" | Dizzy Gillespie | 6:13 |
| Total length: | 68:27 | ||
Personnel
- Gerald Clayton – piano
- Joe Sanders – double bass
- Justin Brown – drums