Buck Clayton

One of the finest mainstream jazz trumpeters, Buck Clayton was not known as a particularly innovative player, but rather one who played with exuberance and displayed a sharp sound. In fact, it is said that the term “mainstream” was coined in the early ‘50s to describe Buck Clayton's blend of Dixieland and Bop. Clayton debuted in California in the early ‘30s at age 21, shortly before taking his own band on a tour of China; he would join Count Basie's band a few years later. Clayton is most revered for his mid-'50s jam sessions recorded in the company of Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims and Johnny Carson's own Tommy Newsom.