James Clay (musician)
James Clay | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Earl Clay |
| Born | September 8, 1935 Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 6, 1995 (aged 59) Dallas, Texas |
| Genres | Hard bop, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, flute, alto saxophone |
James Earl Clay (born September 8, 1935 – January 6, 1995) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist.
Early life[]
Clay was born in Dallas, Texas, on September 8, 1935.[1] While in school, Clay played alto saxophone, and then played with local bands from around the age of 17.[1]
Later life and career[]
Clay moved to California in 1955, where he initially played in jam sessions.[1] He appeared on recordings with Lawrence Marable the following year.[1] Clay then played with freer musicians including Don Cherry, Billy Higgins, and Ornette Coleman, before returning to Dallas in 1958.[1] He joined the military in 1959, and recorded two albums as a leader the following year.[1] Back in California, he led a quartet with Roosevelt Wardell, Jimmy Bond, and Frank Butler, but soon returned to Texas.[1] He toured with Lowell Fulson in the early 1960s, and with Ray Charles on and off between 1962 and 1977.[1] A reappearance on a recording led by Cherry in 1988 – Art Deco – led to a short resurgence of interest in Clay's career.[1][2] He died in Dallas on January 6, 1995.[1]
Playing style[]
Grove wrote that "Clay's style revealed a bop-oriented approach, reminiscent of an angular Lester Young."[1] Clay in the late 1980s said: "Texas tenors are known for playing in a raunchy, straight-forward manner, with lots of emotion and few frills. I'm a typical example of that style of player."[2]
Discography[]
As leader[]
- James Clay Quartet with Lorraine Geller: Lorraine Geller Memorial (1957)
- The Sound of the Wide Open Spaces!!!! (Riverside, 1960) with David Newman, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, Art Taylor
- A Double Dose of Soul (Riverside, 1960) with Nat Adderley, Victor Feldman, Gene Harris, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes
- I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (Verve Records, 1989)
- Cookin' at the Continental (Antilles, 1992)
As sideman[]
- Don Cherry: Art Deco (A&M, 1988)
- Hank Crawford: True Blue (Atlantic, 1964)
- Billy Higgins: Bridgework (Contemporary, 1987)
- Lawrence Marable Quartet: Tenorman (Fresh Sound Rec., 1956) with Sonny Clark
- Red Mitchell: Presenting Red Mitchell (Contemporary, 1957)
- Wes Montgomery: Movin' Along (Riverside, 1960)
- Frank Morgan: Frank Morgan (Gene Norman Presents, 1955)
- David "Fathead" Newman: Return to the Wide Open Spaces (Amazing, 1990) with Ellis Marsalis and Cornell Dupree
- Bill Perkins: The Right Chemistry (Jazz Mark, 1987)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Kennedy, Gary W. (2002). "Clay, James (Earl)". Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J538400. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - ^ Jump up to: a b Iverson, Ethan (October 4, 2019). "Chronology: Don Cherry's Reunion Blues". JazzTimes. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
Further reading[]
- Richard Cook & Morton, Brian: The Penguin Guide To Jazz on CD, 6th Edition, London, Penguin, 2002 ISBN 0-14-017949-6.
- 1935 births
- 1995 deaths
- Musicians from Dallas
- American jazz saxophonists
- American male saxophonists
- Riverside Records artists
- 20th-century American musicians
- 20th-century saxophonists
- Jazz musicians from Texas
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male jazz musicians