This weekend marks the 4th annual Leimert Park Jazz Festival, co-hosted by KCRW’s very own resident Jazzcat — LeRoy Downs. Running Saturday, Aug. 26 from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, the fest has been designed as a family friendly event complete with a dedicated Kid’s Zone. But the focal point is the heavy-hitting jazz courtesy of headliners Poncho Sanchez, Carmen Lundy, Keyon Harrold, and today’s MBE guest, Gerald Clayton.
Downs and Clayton roll through HQ to hype us all the way up for the big neighborhood celebration. The longtime friends break down Clayton’s piano prowess, and how he strives to honor the work of his renowned bass player/composer father — John Clayton — through his own original compositions. They also revel in the power of community, and give us a taste of what Clayton brings to the stage with “Celia (Live)” from the 2020 album Happening: Live at The Village Vanguard. And, because it is Friday after all, we put Clayton on the spot to share his ultimate boogie down cut, and he comes correct with The Cannonball Adderley Quintet’s “Rumplestiltskin.” “If you wait long enough,” Clayton proclaims, “it gets so funky. Get in there to experience it for yourself.