John Clayton
Grammy-nominated bassist/composer John Clayton has gained prominence in both the jazz and classical fields. He studied bass with the late great jazz legend Ray Brown, and has performed with the Count Basie Orchestra and Monty Alexander. For five years, he was the principal bassist for the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to writing for the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which he co-leads, John has written for Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Natalie Cole, The Tonight Show Band, Quincy Jones and Phil Collins. In 1998, John was named the Artistic Director of Jazz for the L.A. Philharmonic, and he continues to teach at the University of Southern California.
