Gerald Clayton Quintet

“The ranks of young pianists are littered with technical virtuosos, but Clayton stands apart: He has touch, too. He's a warm and graceful player, with plenty of personal nuance; he would say that his style comes as much from gigging with West Coast bigwigs as from listening to a wide range of music.

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The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra began its life as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1966.The world-famous Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City booked the newly formed band for three Monday nights that February. Those performances were wildly successful and the engagement was extended indefinitely. The Village Vanguard’s owner, Max Gordon, told Mel Lewis, “We’ll keep it going until it tapers off.” Over half a century and more than 2700 Monday nights later, it still hasn’t. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra stands apart from all other modern ensembles of its kind and is still as strong and vital as ever.

“An expressive and insightful pianist, [Aaron Parks] has spent more than half his life in one or another sort of spotlight, and while he favors a spirit of expedition, he isn’t an obscurantist. His music seeks communion, often delving deep into familiar song form.

“Blake's versatile recording background with jazz greats trumpeter Tom Harrell and pianist Kenny Barron, to name just two, has made an exciting drummer out of him always surprising and somewhat unconventional.

“Changes come and go in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood, but the basement club occupying 178 Seventh Avenue South since 1935 remains a stable and revered New York City landmark.