John Clayton is a composer, arranger, conductor, bassist, producer and educator.   He is  a Grammy winner and has received an additional additional eight nominations. Artists such as Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, Natalie Cole and Charles Aznavour vie for a spot on his crowded calendar.

He currently tours and records with his quintet, The Clayton Brothers.  Along with Jeff Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, he co-leads the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

A former student of bassist Ray Brown, John toured with Monty Alexander, the Count Basie Orchestra and worked for 5 years as the principal bassist for the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the Netherlands.

In 1988 he joined he faculty of the University of Southern California and taught there for 21 years. In addition to clinics, workshops, and private students, John is the artistic director of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the Centrum Jazz Workshop and Festival, and also directs the educational components for the Vail Jazz Foundation.

Career highlights include arranging the ‘Star Spangled Banner” for Whitney Houston’s performance at Super Bowl 1990 (the recording went platinum), playing bass on Paul McCartney’s CD “Kisses On The Bottom,” arranging and playing bass with Yo-Yo Ma and Friends on “Songs of Joy and Peace,” arranging playing and conducting the 2009 CD “Charles Aznavour With the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra,” and numerous recordings with Diana Krall, the Clayton Brothers, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander, et al.