{{Short description|American musician and composer}} {{About|the musician|the Admiral of the Royal Navy|Clark Gayton (Royal Navy officer)}} thumb|Clark Gayton, Buffalo, NY, 2009 {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
'''Clark Gayton''' is an American multi-instrumentalist, musician, and composer.
==Biography== thumb|Clark Gayton playing trombone Born as '''Carver Clark Gayton Jr.''' to Carver Clark Gayton<ref name="historylink">{{cite web|url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4305 |title=the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History |publisher=HistoryLink.org |date=May 28, 2004 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}</ref> and Mona Marie Lombard,<ref name="seattletimes">{{cite web|last=Beers |first=Carole |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19981018/2778322/music-church-charity-filled-the-life-of-lucille-lombard |title=Obituaries | Music, Church, Charity Filled The Life Of Lucille Lombard |publisher=Community.seattletimes.nwsource.com |date=October 18, 1998 |access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref> Clark Gayton is a professional musician (trombone,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trombone-usa.com/gayton_clark_bio.htm |title=Clark Gayton |publisher=Trombone-usa.com |date=July 1, 2008 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}</ref> euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, cornet, keyboards, piano), composer and producer.
Clark studied music with Floyd Standifer, JoAnn Christen, Curry Morrison, Julian Priester, Joe Brazil and Buddy Catlet while attending Garfield High School.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.earshot.org/Publication/pub/06july.pdf |title=july2006.indd |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927212927/http://www.earshot.org/Publication/pub/06july.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After graduating from high school in 1981, Clark received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Phil Wilson, Tom Plsek and Tony Lada. He graduated in 1984 and moved to Oakland before moving to New York in 1987 where he lives to this day.<ref>Tom Lord. "The Jazz Discography" (North Country Distributors, 1992) {{ISBN|1-881993-01-9}}, {{ISBN|978-1-881993-01-8}}</ref>
Since living in New York, Clark has worked and recorded<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Clark+Gayton |title=Clark Gayton Discography at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}</ref> with some of the finest jazz musicians in the world, such as Charles Tolliver, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis and JALC, McCoy Tyner, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, Ted Nash and Odeon, Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel, Michael Blake, Brian Mitchell, Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra and Steven Bernstein/Henry Butler and the Hot 9, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, Clark Terry,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sueterry.net/images/studioclarkproject.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507053525/http://sueterry.net/images/studioclarkproject.jpg |archive-date=May 7, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nancy Wilson, and Ray Charles.<ref>{{cite web |author=All About Jazz |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/clark-gayton |title=Clark Gayton | Jazz | Trombone |publisher=Allaboutjazz.com |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118142831/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=17475 |archive-date=January 18, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the early 2000s he joined the Levon Helm Band and performed at Helm's Midnight Ramblers concerts.
For several decades Gayton has toured and recorded toured with Bruce Springsteen, joining in 1997 as part of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions band. He rejoined Springsteen several years later as a regular member of his touring band, playing both trombone and sousaphone.
Clark has recorded or performed with Prince, Rihanna, Brazilian Girls, Steel Pulse, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wikimusicguide.com/Black_Reign |title=Black Reign Music Guide – WikiMusicGuide, your music wiki |publisher=Wikimusicguide.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}</ref> Quincy Jones, Sting,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/synchronisite/gallery.html |date=October 27, 2009 |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027114003/http://geocities.com/synchronisite/gallery.html |archivedate=October 27, 2009 |title=SYNCHRONIsite - Picture Gallery }}</ref> Sturgill Simpson, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Bette Midler, Nora Jones, Usher, Steve Van Zandt, Beyoncé, Santana,<ref>He performed also for the video "Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas. https://www.youtube.com/v/gpX97eg-W-k&hl=en&fs=1</ref> Maxwell, The Skatalites, and Bad Brains, to name a few.
Gayton is a staple on the New York City music scene often creating a regular series at local bars and clubs including the Parkside Lounge, 55Bar, Bar Lunatico and Nublu.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nublu.net/friends.php?friend=gayton |title=Nublu |publisher=Nublu |date=October 11, 2011 |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112220900/http://www.nublu.net/friends.php?friend=gayton |archive-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While he has led several bands, most notable is the Jamaican music inspired project Explorations in Dub.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/v/4arORamtLy8&hl=en&fs=1|title=- YouTube|website=YouTube}}</ref>
Gayton has appeared in the movies ''Malcolm X'',<ref>Member of Lionel Hampton band (name misspelled) {{cite web |url=http://www.us.imdb.de/title/tt0104797/ |title=Malcolm X (1992) |accessdate=2008-12-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605234558/http://us.imdb.de/title/tt0104797/ |archivedate=June 5, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''Sweet and Lowdown'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/sweetandlowdown/credits.html |title=Sweet and Lowdown: Credits |publisher=Sonypictures.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605085547/http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/sweetandlowdown/credits.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''Kansas City''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rhapsody.web-enabled.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=67&osCsid=iod977aur6obr2p2eitmhb3o02 |title=Rhapsody Productions Inc |publisher=Rhapsody.web-enabled.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005221711/http://rhapsody.web-enabled.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=67&osCsid=iod977aur6obr2p2eitmhb3o02 |archive-date=October 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Gayton's most recent TV work was playing in the burlesque band on the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seasons 4 and 5.
It was reported in March 2023 that Gayton had recently suffered a very serious stroke. A GoFundMe page was set up to help raise money for his rehabilitation.
==Family influence and early music history== He is the son of Carver Clark Gayton<ref name="historylink" /> and Mona Marie Lombard<ref name="seattletimes" /> and is the great-grandnephew of the legendary New Orleans musician, Manuel "Fess" Manetta.<ref>[http://algierspoint.org/AHS/jazz_tour_1.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905114842/http://algierspoint.org/AHS/jazz_tour_1.html|date=September 5, 2008}}</ref>
The first two professionally trained musicians on his maternal side were Jules and Deuce Manetta who founded the Pickwick Brass Band and played cornet and trombone, respectively. Deuce, trained classically in France, was said to be the first slide trombone player in New Orleans. Valve trombone was the instrument of choice at the time. Their nephew was Manuel Manetta. He began on violin and guitar but did his first paid work as a pianist for Countess Willie Piazza. He played with Buddy Bolden in 1903. By 1910 he had mastered cornet, saxophone, and trombone. Manuel played at Tuxedo Hall with the Eagle band. He went to Chicago in 1913, then returned to New Orleans, played locally for five years. He went to Los Angeles in November 1919 to join Kid Ory. He returned home shortly afterwards and toured as pianist for with Martels' Family Band, then played piano in Ed Allen's Band on riverboats. He settled down in New Orleans where his versatility and musicianship enabled him to work with many bands and orchestras, including Papa Celestin's, Arnold Du Pas and Manual Perez's, and solo work at Lulu White's.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://storyvilledistrict.tripod.com/madams.html |title=storyville madams|publisher=Storyvilledistrict.tripod.com |date=February 14, 1914 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}</ref>
In later years he became the most renowned teacher in New Orleans. He gave occasional public appearances well into his seventies, making a specialty of playing two brass instruments simultaneously. Manuel had a sister, Olivia, who had a son, Lawrence (trombone), and three daughters: Lucille (Clark's grandmother, piano), Dolly (Adams, played all instruments, mother of Justin, Placide, and Gerry Adams), and Gladys (piano). All were born in Algiers.<ref name="Ogren">{{cite book|last1=Ogren|first1=Kathy J.|title=The jazz revolution twenties America & the meaning of jazz|url=https://archive.org/details/jazzrevolutiontw0000ogre|url-access=registration|date=1989|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-19-507479-6}}</ref>
==Discography== * Clark Gayton & Neatherealm – ''Don't Try To Question'' 1995 (Ritual, Ltd.) * Neatherealm – ''JahMerican Jazz'' (Ritual, Ltd.) * Clark Gayton – ''Walk the Water'' 1999 (Ritual, Ltd.) * Clark Gayton – ''Sankofa!'' 2003 (Ritual, Ltd.) * Clark Gayton – ''Best of Clark Gayton'' 2008 (Ritual, Ltd.) * Clark and the SuperSlicks- "New York" 2013 (Ritual, LTD)
===As sideman=== * Steel Pulse Rastafarian Centennial (trombone, vocals) 1992 * Skadanks''Give Thanks'' 1994 (trombone) * Mingus Big Band ''Que Viva Mingus'' 1997 * Dr. John ''Anotha Zone'' 1998 (trombone) * Cornell Campbell ''Big Things'' (Trombone) 2000 * Peter Salett ''Heart of Mine'' (Trombone) 2000 * Dennis Brown ''Let Me Be the One'' (Trombone) 2000 * George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band ''Merryteria'' (Trombone) 2000 * Monday Michiru ''4 Seasons'' (Trombone, Tuba) 2001 * Sting ''All This Time'' (Trombone) 2001 * Maxwell ''Now'' (Trombone) 2001 * Barney McAll ''Release the Day'' (Trombone) 2001 * Monday Michiru ''Selections 1997–2000'' (Trombone, Tuba) 2001 * Jephte Guillaume Bourique Le 2001 * Paul Peress ''Awakening'' (Trombone, Horn Arrangements) 2002 * Jah Works ''Bassmentality'' (Trombone) 2002 * Dave Stryker ''Blue to the Bone III'' (Trombone) 2002 * Tom Jones ''Mr. Jones'' (Trombone) 2002 * Bill Mobley and the Space Time Big Band ''New Light'' (Trombone, Soloist) 2002 * John Fedchock New York Big Band ''No Nonsense'' (Trombone) 2002 * Queen Latifah ''She's a Queen: A Collection of Hits'' (Trombone, Horn Arrangements) 2002 * Tom Browne ''Tom Browne Collection'' (Trombone) 2002 * Gaijin à Go-Go ''Happy–55–Lucky'' (Trombone) 2003 * Dan Zanes and Friends ''House Party'' (Tuba) 2003 * Julia Darling ''Julia Darling'' (Trombone, Trombonium) 2003 * Cannabis Cup Band ''Live Joint'' (Trombone) 2003 * Mýa ''Moodring'' (Trombone) 2003 * Sting ''Sacred Love'' (Trombone) 2003 * ''Barbershop 2: Back in Business Original Soundtrack'' (Trombone) 2004 * Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel ''Buzz'' (Trombone, Bass Trombone) 2004 * Mocean Worker ''Enter the Mowo!'' (Trombone) 2004 * David Pilgrim ''Island Soul'' (Trombone) 2004 * Brazilian Girls ''Lazy Lover [EP]'' (Composer, Trombone, Vocals (background)) 2004 * Nasio ''Living in the Positive [Bonus Tracks]'' (Trombone) 2004 * Brazilian Girls ''Brazilian Girls'' (Composer, Trombone, Vocals (background)) 2005 * Ted Nash – ''Espada de la Noche'' (Trombone, Tuba, Horn (Baritone)) 2005 * JJ Sansaverino ''Sunshine After Midnight'' (Trombone) 2005 * Elvis Costello ''North'' (trombone) 2005 * Kerry Linder ''Sail Away With Me'' (Trombone) 2005 * Steven Bernstein ''MTO Vol. 1'' (Trombone) 2006 * Brazilian Girls ''Talk to La Bomb'' 2006 * Joss Stone "It's a Man's World", Live (Trombone) 2006 * Rihanna ''A Girl Like Me'' (Trombone) 2006 * Charles Tolliver ''With Love'' (Trombone) 2006 * Nasio Fontaine ''Rise Up'' (Trombone) 2007 * Duo Live ''The Color of Money'' (Trombone) 2007 * Bad Brains ''Build a Nation'' (Trumpet) 2007 * Bruce Springsteen ''Live in Dublin'' (Trombone, vocals) 2007 * East Village Opera Company ''Olde School'' (Trombone) 2008 * Brazilian Girls ''New York City'' (Tuba) 2008 * Lila Downs – ''Shake Away'' (Trombone, valve trombone, tuba) 2008 * Dispatch ''Live Zimbabwe'' (Trombone) 2008 * Bruce Springsteen ''Wrecking Ball'' 2012 * Glen Hansard ''Rhythm and Repose'' 2012 * Sturgil Simpson ''A Sailor's Guide to Earth'' 2014 * Bruce Springsteen ''Live in Leipzig'' (Trombone, vocals) 2013 * Lucio Kropf ''Pela Rua'' (Trombone) 2015 * Bruce Springsteen ''Western Stars'' (Trombone) 2019 * Steve Slagle ''Nascentia'' 2021 * Michael Blake ''Combobulate'' (Trombone) 2022
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{The Lounge Lizards}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gayton, Clark}} Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:American trombonists Category:The Lounge Lizards members Category:E Street Band members Category:The Sessions Band members Category:The Levon Helm Band members