John Clayton Jr.

John Clayton Jr. is an American jazz and classical double bassist. By age 19, he had become a bassist on Henry Mancini's television series The Mancini Generation. He went on to tour with Count Basie Orchestra before taking the position of principal bass in the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in Amsterdam, Netherlands. However, after five years he returned to the U.S. for a break in the classical genre to work more towards jazz and jazz composition. From 1999 to 2001 he served as Artistic Director of Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic program at the Hollywood Bowl. He currently serves as Artistic Director for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Sarasota Jazz Festival, Santa Fe Jazz Party, Jazz Port Townsend Summer Workshop, and Vail Jazz Workshop. He also teaches at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and presides as President over the 1,500 member International Bassist Association.