Buck Clayton

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Buck Clayton

Buck Clayton (* 12. November 1911 in Parsons (Kansas) , † 8. December 1991 in New York City ; actually Wilbur Dorsey Clayton ) was a noted American jazz - trumpet of the swing era. "Elegance and an overall chamber-musical-drawing style with a flexible, well-groomed tone" characterize his "melodically thought-out choruses" according to Martin Kunzler .

Live and act

Clayton grew up in Kansas; he had piano and trumpet lessons from his father and played in his church orchestra. In 1932 he began his musical career in California, where he organized a big band in 1934, with which he then worked in Shanghai until 1936 . When he happened to be in Kansas City in 1936 , he received a request from Count Basie whether he would like to join his orchestra. He said yes. At the end of the 1930s he accompanied jazz greats such as Billie Holiday , Lester Young and Teddy Wilson and played with the Kansas City Six . In 1943, Clayton Basie's orchestra left when he had to do his army service.

When his military service ended, Clayton worked primarily as an arranger, for example for Basie, Benny Goodman and Harry James . At the end of the 1940s he put together his own sextet, with which he toured Europe in 1949 and 1950. In 1949 and 1953 he worked as a studio musician, being the focus of famous mainstream sessions for Columbia Records. From 1951 to 1953 he was a member of Joe Bushkin's quartet . In 1956 he led a band at the Newport Jazz Festival with Coleman Hawkins and JJ Johnson ; In 1956 he accompanied Billie Holiday at their last concert in New York's Carnegie Hall . 1957 followed permanent positions at Goodman and Teddy Wilson . He also played with Sidney Bechet , Eddie Condon , Jimmy Rushing , Tony Parenti , Ruby Braff , Nat Pierce and Mezz Mezzrow . He also appeared in the films The Benny Goodman Story (1956) and Jazz on a Summer's Day (1958). In 1959 he visited Europe with his All Stars, where he also joined Humphrey Lyttelton as a guest .

In 1964 Clayton toured Japan and Australia with Condon, and later Europe with Humphrey Lyttelton. At the end of the 1960s, he was barely able to play the trumpet due to health problems that also affected his lip. After a guest appearance with Jimmy Rushing in Half Note , he had to undergo several operations in 1972 and temporarily give up playing completely. Therefore, he worked primarily as an arranger and composer, including for Lyttelton and Buddy Tate , before returning to the scene in 1976. In the early 1980s he accepted a teaching post at a college. In 1987 he led a big band again and in the same year his autobiography appeared under the name Buck Clayton's Jazz World . Buck Clayton died in his sleep on December 8, 1991.

Discographic notes

Ben Webster , Eddie Barefield , Buck Clayton, and Benny Morton appearing on Famous Door , NYC, circa October 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb .
  • Bird and Pres - The '46 Concerts Jazz at the Philharmonic (Verve, 1946)
  • The Classic Swing of Buck Clayton (OJC, 1946)
  • Buck Special (Vogue, 1949-53)
  • Songs for Swingers (Philipps, 1959)
  • Jams Benny Gooman Favorites (Philipps B07059 L)
  • How Hi the Fi (Philipps B07032 L)
  • Copenhagen Concert (SteepleChase, 1959)
  • Buck & Buddy (Prestige / OJC, 1960)
  • Buck Clayton All Stars 1961 ( Storyville Records , 1961)
  • Buck Clayton Meets Joe Turner ( Black Lion , 1965)
  • Buck Clayton Jam Session 1975 ( Chiaroscuro , 1975)
  • Swings the Village ( Nagel-Heyer , 1990)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kunzler: Jazz Lexicon. P. 217.
  2. ^ Rough Guide Jazz, p. 127.
  3. ^ Rough Guide Jazz, p. 127.
personal data
SURNAME Clayton, Buck
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Clayton, Wilbur Dorsey (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH November 12, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Parsons (Kansas)
DATE OF DEATH December 8, 1991
Place of death New York City