Clark Gayton

Clark Gayton is an American multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer and musicians' rights advocate.

Born as Carver Clark Gayton Jr. to Carver Clark Gayton and Mona Marie Lombard, Clark Gayton is a professional musician (trombone, 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. 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.

Since living in New York, Clark has worked and recorded 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, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, and Ray Charles. Clark toured with Bruce Springsteen as part of the Seeger Sessions band. Clark has recorded or performed with Prince, Rihanna, Brazilian Girls, Steel Pulse, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Quincy Jones, Sting, Sturgill Simpson, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Bette Midler, Nora Jones, Usher, Steve Van Zandt, Beyoncé, Santana, Maxwell, The Skatalites, and Bad Brains, to name a few. He performs regularly with his band, Explorations in Dub, at Nublu in New York City.He was also a member of Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band. He has appeared in the movies Malcolm X, Sweet and Lowdown, and Kansas City.He has performed frequently with Conan O'Brien's house band as a substitute for Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg.In addition, he is a strong advocate for musicians’ rights and has been a panelist for discussions about the online and independent music industry.

He is the son of Carver Clark Gayton and Mona Marie Lombard and is the great-grand nephew of the legendary New Orleans musician, Manuel "Fess" Manetta.

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.

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.

• 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
• Nasio Fontaine Rise Up (Trombone) 2007
• Duo Live The Color of Money (Trombone) 2007
• Bad Brains – Build a Nation (Trumpet) 2007
• Charles Tolliver – With Love (Trombone) 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
• The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (trombone)
• GPSM Unit 2009
• 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
• Sting and Shaggy Trombone 2018
• Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars” (trombone) 2019
• Steve Slagle “Nascentia” 2021