Klay's early childhood was spent in London. His father Ronnie, a struggling artist (hence the name Klay named after his father's favourite painter Paul Klee – well it was the sixties) also played Jug in The Dedicated Men – an art school band who were doing rather well at the time, though sadly not financially. The band were signed to Pye records and toured with The Who amongst others. His mother, Bridgette, was an artist's muse.
After moving about with his family across the UK landscape, he went to study for a short at the Leeds College of Music Jazz Degree Course at the age of 18, where he began writing jazz fusion and focusing on piano technique.
His first break came when his band was asked to produce an album by a small label co-owned by Shakatak's Bill Sharpe and DJ Ralph Tee. This led to the Jazz Steppers album, Get Up!, which won the 1998 MOBO for best Jazz Act.
In 1999, Klay joined Roy Ayers as part of his Ubiquity band. During this same year, Klay released his first solo album, On Reflection, through an independent UK label.
In 2001, he was asked by Sony Jazz UK to put together a Rhythm section for Guitarist Martin Taylor's Sony UK tour to promote Martin's new album, Nitelife, produced by Kirk Whalum. Later, he concentrated on studio projects and session work with artists such as Jocelyn Brown and Rippingtons sax player Jeff Kashiwa.
"When rhythm meets intelligence when melody meets improvisation, you find KC at the point of all intersections." - Hans-Bernd Hülsmann (HBH), Smooth Jazz Daily
