White Cities – A Musical Tribute to Charles White
by Gerald Clayton
Wed 8 Mar 8:30PMLantarenVenster, Otto Reuchlinweg 996, 3072 GJ Rotterdam, Netherlands map
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In White Cities, in full White Cities – A single life spread across three vibrant American cities: Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, jazz pianist Gerald Clayton pays a captivating tribute to the painter Charles White. He does this together with four kindred spirit musicians from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, three cities in which Charles White lived and worked.
Clayton (1984) made a name for himself with celebrities such as Roy Hargrove and Diana Krall and is now a well-known musician himself. He was instilled with the swing by his father, the well-known bass player and orchestra leader John Clayton. His own generation’s hip-hop is another strong influence. Gerald grew up in Los Angeles, but was born in the Netherlands. During his youth he lived in Utrecht. At the age of six he started a (classical) piano study. He then studied jazz at the University of Southern California. He completed his education at the Manhattan School of Music. There he was taught by Billy Childs and Kenny Barron, among others. He gained professional experience with Lewis Nash, Al Foster and Clark Terry and duo concerts with greats such as Hank Jones, Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller formed a rich basis for growth. From 2006 he worked intensively with trumpet player Roy Hargrove and in 2008 he started his own trio. Blue Note Records launched its acclaimed albumHappening: Live at the Village Vanguard . Last year this label released the beautiful album Bells On Sand .
In 2019, Clayton was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to compose music for an exhibition featuring the work of influential artist and activist Charles White. This portrayed the lives of African Americans, in idealized portraits but also in everyday circumstances. He gave them dignity, humanity and heroism, in contrast to the long history of racial inequality. The concert features White’s painting Five Great American Negroes, which depicts five prominent black leaders. Clayton composed a melody for each of them. The melodic and harmonic themes run inventively throughout the piece, to represent the dual experience of both viewing the painting and the deeper meaning behind it. The title of the concert immediately draws attention to race and racial tensions. Gerald views the whiteness of Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as a reminder of the utter oppression that permeated every place Charles White lived. And jazz, born as the blues, is a testimony to the black experience in a white world.
Instrumentation:
Gerald Clayton – Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ, piano
Joel Ross – vibraphone, drums
Marquis Hill – trumpet
Logan Richardson – alto sax
Jeff Parker – guitar
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Things to do while in Brussels
For art lovers, The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium should be a massive drawcard during your visit to Brussels. Comprising not one but six different museums, they collectively house some of the country’s most important cultural and artistic treasures.
The six institutions are the Magritte, Oldmasters, Antoine Wiertz, Constantin Meunier, Fin-de-Siècle and modern museum. Between them, these venues showcase an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings that date back to the early 15th century.
Exploring the complex of museums is among most popular things to do in Brussels. Expect to spend a lot of your time marveling at the works of celebrated artists like Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, Anthony van Dyck, Bruegel, Peter Paul Rubens and Jacob Jordaens.