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John Clayton
Bassist, Composer, Arranger, Educator, Artistic Director
About Me
”The multiple roles in which he excels — composer, arranger, conductor, producer, educator,
and yes, extraordinary bassist — garner him a number of challenging assignments and
commissions. With a Grammy on his shelf and eight additional nominations, artists such as
Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen
Latifah, and Charles Aznevour have vied for a spot on his crowded calendar.
He began his bass career in elementary school playing clarinet and switching to bass at 13.
His interest in music continued to grow as he played in junior high school orchestra, high
school jazz band, orchestra, and soul/R&B groups. In 1969, at the age of 16, he enrolled in
bassist Ray Brown's jazz class at UCLA, beginning a close relationship that lasted more than
three decades. After graduating from Indiana University's School of Music with a degree in
bass performance in 1975, he toured with the Monty Alexander Trio (1975-77), the Count
Basie Orchestra (1977-79), and settled in as principal bassist with the Amsterdam
Philharmonic Orchestra in Amsterdam, Netherlands (1980-85). He was also a bass
instructor at The Royal Conservatory, The Hague, Holland from 1980-83.
In 1985 he returned to California, co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra,
rekindled the The Clayton Brothers quintet, and taught part-time bass at Cal State Long
Beach, UCLA and USC. In 1988 he joined he faculty of the University of Southern California
Thornton School of Music, where he taught until 2009. Now, in addition to individual clinics,
workshops, and private students as schedule permits, John also directs the educational
components associated with the Centrum Jazz Workshop and Festival, and Vail Jazz Party.
Career highlights include arranging the 'Star Spangled Banner” for Whitney Houston's
performance at Super Bowl 1990 (the recording went platinum), playing bass on Paul
McCartney's CD “Kisses On The Bottom,” arranging and playing bass with Yo-Yo Ma and
Friends on “Songs of Joy and Peace,” arranging playing and conducting the 2009 CD
”Charles Aznavour With the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra,” and numerous recordings
with Diana Krall, the Clayton Brothers, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Milt Jackson, Monty
Alexander, et al.”
