Buck Clayton

Buck Clayton (born Wilbur Dorsey Clayton in Parsons, Kansas on November 12, 1911-died in New York City on December 8, 1991) was a American jazz trumpet player, fondly remembered for being a leading member of Count Basie’s 'Old Testmant' orchestra and leader of mainstream orientated jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was

Last years

Shortly after appearing at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1969, Clayton underwent lip surgery, and had to give up playing the trumpet in 1972. He was able to resume playing in 1977 for a State Department sponsored tour of Africa, but had to permanently stop playing in 1979, though he still worked as an arranger. He began to teach at Hunter College, CUNY from 1975-80 and again in the early ‘eighties..

Related Topics:
New Orleans - 1969 - 1972 - 1977 - State Department - Africa - 1979 - Hunter College - CUNY - 1975 - 80

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The semi-autobiography, “Buck Clayton’s Jazz World”, co-authored by Nancy Miller Elliott, first appeared in 1986. In the same year, his new Big Band debuted at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and Clayton toured internationally with it, contributing 100 compositions to the band book.

Related Topics:
1986 - Brooklyn Museum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buck Clayton died quietly in his sleep in 1991.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~