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

Mainstreamer

The English critic Stanley Dance coined the term Mainstream in the 1950s to describe the style of those swing era players who fell between the revivalist and modernist camps. Clayton was precisely one of the players to whom this appellation most applied. In December 1953 Clayton embarked on a series of jam session albums for Columbia, which had been the idea of John Hammond, though George Avakian was the principal producer. The recording sessions for these albums lasted until 1956. The tracks could last the length of a LP side, and it had been the new format that had given Hammond the idea, but sometimes this led to unfortunate anomalies. The title track the Jumping at the Woodside album was compiled from two takes recorded four months apart, each with a completely different rhythm section. Clayton also recorded at this time for Vanguard under his own name and on dates led by Ruby Braff, Mel Powell and Sir Charles Thompson.

Related Topics:
Stanley Dance - Mainstream - 1950s - 1953 - Columbia - John Hammond - George Avakian - 1956 - LP - Jumping at the Woodside - Vanguard - Ruby Braff - Mel Powell - Sir Charles Thompson

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In 1955 he appeared in the Benny Goodman Story, also working with Goodman in New York at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel two years later. In 1958 he was at the Worlds Fair in Brussels for concerts with Sidney Bechet, and toured Europe again the following year and annually through the 1960s. For the Swingville label (a subsidiary of Prestige Records) he co-led two albums with former Basis colleague Buddy Tate and supported Pee Wee Russell on his own outing for the label.

Related Topics:
1955 - Benny Goodman Story - Waldorf=Astoria Hotel - 1958 - Sidney Bechet - 1960s - Prestige Records - Buddy Tate - Pee Wee Russell

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In 1964 he performed in Japan, Australia and New Zealand with Eddie Condon, with whom he had already occasionally worked for several years. In the early ‘sixties he guested with the band of British trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton in public performances and on several record albums.

Related Topics:
1964 - Japan - Australia - New Zealand - Eddie Condon - British - Trumpeter - Humphrey Lyttelton

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