John Clayton is a busy man. He is the co-leader (along with altoist Jeff Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton) of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and shares the leadership of the Clayton Brothers with his sibling. He is a major bassist with a beautiful tone and ma sterful control over the bow. His swinging arrangements are inventive and unpredictable. He is an important educator and spokesman for the music. And he is constantly in-demand in all of these roles.
The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra was formed in 1985 but its genesis began years earlier. "When Jeff Hamilton and I were with Monty Alexander," remembers John Clayton, "in our spare time we loved to listen to some of the great big band records. We were absolutely in love with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band and thought it'd be cool if someday we were involved with a big band. Time passed and ten years later we still thought that having a big band would be a great idea." John's younger brother, altoist Jeff Clayton, became the third co-leader and since he had been based in Los Angeles for years, he put the band together. With John Clayton providing the arrangements and Jeff Hamilton proving to be one of the finest of all big band drummers, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra was a hit from the start.
Another important continuing project for John Clayton is the Clayton Brothers. The combo, which in 1978 made its recording debut, is a part-time affair that gives Clayton an opportunity to play swinging small group jazz with Jeff Clayton. The group has evolved through the years and recorded two Lps for Concord (Jeff & John and It's All In The Family) and sets for Capri (The Music), Qwest (Expressions and Siblingity) and most recently Back In The Swing Of Things for the Hyena label. Trumpeter Terrell Stafford has been a member of the group for the past few years and his interplay with Jeff Clayton is always impressive. "When they play together, it brings to mind when Ray Brown used to reminisce to me about Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He said it was like an alto sax being welded to a trumpet and one guy playing it. That was such a great visual and there are times when I hear my brother and Terrell playing together that I get that; it sounds like one instrument." While pianist Bill Cunliffe and Jeff Hamilton are on the new recording which consists of 13 diverse John Clayton originals and "'Round Midnight," at recent engagements John's talented son Gerald Clayton has distinguished himself on piano, teaming with young drummers.
John Clayton, who is the Jazz Studies bass professor at USC and teaches privately, has always encouraged younger musicians, never forgetting how much Ray Brown inspired him when he was coming up. Born in Venice near Los Angeles, he grew up in a musical household where his mother not only played piano and organ in addition to conducting choirs in the Baptist church, but often had rehearsals at home. After having piano lessons, one day in junior high school John walked into the band room. "Mr. Wallace, the band director, asked what I would like to learn how to play. I told him 'that thing over there.' It looked kinda neat-nice and big, a bit complicated in construction. He said, 'sure,' and wrote down my name followed by Tuba. As I was walking out the door, I saw these four gorgeous brown things standing in a rack. I asked, 'Ooh, can I play that instead?' 'Sure,' he replied, crossing off Tuba and wrote down my destiny."
After discovering how great a bassist Ray Brown was and finding out that Brown was teaching an extension course at UCLA, the 16-year old Clayton signed up. "He insisted that I learn the bass from the top to the bottom. I had to learn all of my major, minor, whole tone and diminished scales, as well as all of my chord types (major triads, minor triads, dominant 7ths, minor 7ths, diminished 7ths and augmented 7ths). He also made me learn as many jazz and standard tunes as I could. Those were the basics and it is what I pass on to my students. The Ray Brown Life Lessons included everything from how to manage money, how to pack, how to carry your bass, advice on sex, staying drug free, being a leader, tips on teaching, and so much more." Beyond teaching his talented student, Ray Brown acted as a father figure and constantly helped Clayton, getting him important early gigs (including work with Henry Mancini) and giving him advice.
While attending Indiana University, John Clayton met the man who he always calls his best friend, drummer Jeff Hamilton. Although he mostly studied classical music, Clayton also played jazz and was ready when pianist Monty Alexander invited him to join his trio, recommending Hamilton as the drummer. The Monty Alexander Trio recorded several al bums and Clayton was with the pianist during 1975-77, only leaving when he had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream and become a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. While with Basie, Clayton wrote several big band arrangements, having success with "Blues For Stephanie."
After spending two years with Basie, John Clayton lived in Holland for five years where he was the principal bassist with the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, wrote music every week for the Skymasters big band and taught at the conservatory, starting a successful youth orchestra. By 1984 he was ready to return to the United States where at first he became a studio musician. Tiring of that often-mundane music, Clayton worked with Carmen McRae and Nancy Wilson, became a busy freelance arranger and bassist, and began teaming up regularly with Jeff Clayton and Jeff Hamilton.
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which was the house band at the Hollywood Bowl during 1999-2001 when John Clayton was the artistic director for jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, won the Downbeat Readers' Poll as the top big band of 2004. In addition to its own projects, the orchestra has appeared on records with John Pizzarelli, Diana Krall and an upcoming jazz set with Gladys Knight.
John Clayton's other activities of recent times include being the education director for the Vail Jazz Foundation, the director for the Port Townsend Festival, part of the in-house rhythm section at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and being involved with the Ray Brown bass camp. He has produced recent recordings by violinist Regina Carter and singer Sara Gazarek and is working on a commissioned piece for the Monterey Jazz Festival with Kurt Elling. In the recent past he wrote for and worked with Dee Dee Bridgewater (the Grammy award-winning CD Dear Ella), Dianne Reeves, Nnenna Freelon, Cassandra Wilson, George Benson, Dr. John, Michael Buble and Natalie Cole, not counting his contributions to classical orchestras and other jazz ensembles and big bands.
Looking towards the future, John Clayton says, "I'm a very goal-oriented person. There are a handful of musicians who I would love to make duet recordings with including Hank Jones, Mulgrew Miller and John Scofield. In general I have surrounded myself with the things that I most love doing. I love teaching, playing, having the big band, arranging and my education work; I don't want to give up any of that." Live At MCG and Back In The Swing Of Things, a pair of gems, are two more bits of evidence that John Clayton has a great deal to offer the music world.