Judith Colantone, known as Jay Clayton, (born October 28, 1941) is an American
avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...
vocalist and educator.
Early life and education
Clayton, was born in
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...
, in 1941. From a young age, Clayton would pick up different jazz standards, and eventually learned to play the accordion. As she grew, she picked up piano and received lessons for a number of years. After graduating high school, Clayton spent the following summer at the St. Louis Institute of Music, a formerly accredited music college in Missouri. First in her family to enroll in college, Clayton attended
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...
in
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...
. Due to the fact that classical music was the only genre of vocal training offered by Miami University at that time, Clayton studied classical music, though often listened to jazz records and attended jazz performances in her free time. Clayton graduated with a degree in music education in 1963, then moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Career
After moving to New York, Clayton supported herself with office work by day, but by night, she would explore the blossoming avant-garde jazz scene of the city. Clayton fostered a connection of mentorship with
Steve Lacy. Lacy not only helped Clayton find balance between the influence of tradition and free music in her own vocal technique, but also introduced her to bassist Lewis Worrell, trumpeter Marc Levin, and drummer, as well as future husband, Frank Clayton.
Clayton became part of the
free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...
and
avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...
crowd, which was unusual for a vocalist. With her status as an established avant-garde musician, she gained many connections. In 1967, Clayton and her husband, Frank Clayton, began presenting a loft jazz concert series in their home including artists,
Joanne Brackeen
Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) is an American jazz pianist and music educator.
Music career
Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was a fan of pop pi ...
,
Cecil McBee,
Jane Getz
Jane Getz (born 12 September 1942) is an American jazz pianist and session musician.
She learned classical piano as a child and began playing jazz at the age of nine. She lived in California early in life but when she was sixteen moved to New Yo ...
, and
Sam Rivers, to name a few. As Clayton gained more and more recognition, she began to perform with other famous avant-garde jazz and minimalist musicians, some of which include:
Muhal Richard Abrams
Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...
,
Gary Bartz
Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards.
Biography
Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Wor ...
,
Jane Ira Bloom
Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.
Early years
Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophon ...
,
George Cables
George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer.
Early life
Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...
,
Steve Lacy,
Julian Priester
Julian Priester (born June 29, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist and occasional euphoniumist. He is sometimes credited "Julian Priester Pepo Mtoto". He has played with Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock.
B ...
,
Perry Robinson
Perry Morris Robinson (September 17, 1938 – December 2, 2018) was an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He was the son of composer Earl Robinson.
Early life and education
Robinson was born and grew up in New York City. He attended the Le ...
,
Mark Whitecage
Mark Whitecage (June 4, 1937 – March 7, 2021) was an American jazz reedist.
Career
Whitecage played in his father's family ensemble as early as age six. In the 1980s, he played with Gunter Hampel's Galaxy Dream Band, Jeanne Lee, and Saheb S ...
,
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...
, and
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
. As an independent artist already used to creating her own events, Clayton acted as the artistic director for the first ever Women in Jazz Festival, produced by Cobi Narita in 1979. She served as a consultant for ABC Cable’s Women in Jazz, compiling footage for the series. The year 1980 saw the release of All Out, her first album as a leader, featuring
Jane Ira Bloom
Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.
Early years
Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophon ...
, Harvie Swartz, Larry Karush, and Frank Clayton.
Clayton's teaching career lifted off in 1982, when she left New York City to build the vocal jazz program at the
Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914.
History
Cornish College of the Arts was founded in 1914 as the Cornish School of Music, by Nellie Cornish (1876–1956), a teacher of ...
. She was on the jazz faculty at Cornish College for the Arts for 20 years. Jay has taught numerous master classes and workshops at places including
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
,
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817.
With a student body of over three thousa ...
, and the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop,
Banff Centre
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
, which she co-taught with fellow vocalist
Sheila Jordan
Sheila Jordan (born Sheila Jeanette Dawson; November 18, 1928) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a session musician with an array of critically acclaimed artists in addition to recording her own albums. Jordan pionee ...
,
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
, the Vermont Jazz Workshop, and
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
.
Discography
* ''All-Out'' (Anima, 1981)
* ''Sound Songs'' with Jerry Granelli (
JMT, 1986)
* ''String Trio of New York & Jay Clayton'' (
West Wind
A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction.
Mythology and Literature
In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds.
In Greek mythology, ...
, 1988)
* ''As Tears Go By'' with John Lindberg (ITM, 1988)
* ''Live at Jazz Alley'' (ITM, 1991)
* ''The Jazz Alley Tapes'' with Don Lanphere (
Hep, 1992)
* ''Tito's Acid Trip'' with Jim Knapp (ITM, 1992)
* ''Beautiful Love'' with Fred Hersch (
Sunnyside, 1995)
* ''Mirror'' with Claudio Fasoli, Stefano Battaglia (RAM, 1996)
* ''Circle Dancing'' (Sunnyside, 1997)
* ''Brooklyn 2000'' (Sunnyside, 2001)
* ''The Peace of Wild Things'' (Sunnyside, 2008)
* ''In and Out of Love'' (Sunnyside, 2010)
* ''Harry Who?: A Tribute to Harry Warren'' (Sunnyside, 2013)
* ''Unraveling Emily'' with Kirk Nurock (Sunnyside, 2017)
* “Alone Together” with Jerry Granelli (Jay Clayton, 2020)
* ''3 For The Road'' with Fritz Pauer and Ed Neumeister (MeisteroMusic, 2020)
As guest
With
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
* ''John Cage'' (Tomato, 1978)
* ''Three Constructions'' (Tomato, 1989)
* ''Four Walls'' (Tomato, 2003)
With Vocal Summit
* ''Sorrow Is Not Forever—Love Is'' (Moers Music, 1983)
* ''Conference of the Birds'' (ITM, 1992)
With
Muhal Richard Abrams
Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...
* ''Spihumonesty'' (Black Saint, 1979)
With
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...
* ''Helium Tears'' (Newedition, 2005)
With
Claudio Fasoli
Claudio Fasoli (born 29 November 1939) is an Italian jazz - saxophonist (tenor and soprano saxophone) and composer of modern jazz.
Music career
Born in Venice, he now lives in Milan, Italy. After a long apprenticeship and many sessions with v ...
* ''Trois Trios'' (Splasc(H), 1999)
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Jay
1941 births
Living people
American women jazz singers
American jazz singers
Jazz musicians from Ohio
JMT Records artists
Sunnyside Records artists
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers