ASMAC Premiere Master Class Series Presents 

John Clayton 

Moderated by Sylvester Rivers

“How I Do It” 

Techniques for Contemporary Scores

Grammy Award-winning John Clayton will share his unique approach to arranging and orchestrating across multiple genres from Jazz to Pop, Classical and beyond.  He will detail his work, with score excerpts, for such artists as, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys knight, Queen Latifa and his amazing arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner” for Whitney Houston’s 1990 Super Bowl performance that drew national acclaim and was a Platinum-seller. John will also discuss his big band writing methods for his very own, highly successful Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

LA  12pm | Peru & NY 3pm | London 8pm | Paris 9pm | Sydney 7am (+1 day)

Bio:

John Clayton

Bassist, Composer, Arranger and Producer John Clayton is a busy man. With a Grammy on his shelf and nine additional nominations, artists such as Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, and Charles Aznavour have had spots on his crowded calendar.

In 1985 John, co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and rekindled The Clayton Brothers Quintet. In addition to individual clinics, workshops, and private students as schedule permits, John also directs the educational components associated with the Centrum Jazz Festival and Workshop, and Vail Jazz Workshop.

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," and arranging playing and conducting the CD "Charles Aznavour With the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra," and numerous recordings with the Clayton Brothers, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander and many others.

Sylvester Rivers

Composer, producer, arranger and pianist Sylvester Rivers has recorded with numerous hit artists including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, New Edition, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Martha Reeves, Lamont Dozier, Barry White, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Shalamar, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Candi Staton, The Sylvers, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio, Deniece Williams, Johnny Mathis, Billy Preston, Syreeta Wright, Michael Henderson, Earl Klugh, Stanley Turrentine, Najee, Maxine Nightingale, Aretha Franklin, The Fifth Dimension and many others.

Sylvester Rivers occasionally toured as music director with artists including Ray Parker, Jr., (“Ghostbusters”), with whom he also recorded, and he conducted the world tour of Soul II Soul (“Back to Life”).  Back in the studio, Rivers expanded once again, this time into composing and arranging television scores, including the syndicated sports program, “The Other Side of Victory,” hosted by the late Arthur Ashe and later by sports commentator, James Brown. He arranged and orchestrated music for the ABC production of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey’s, “The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour.”  Rivers composed and produced the score for MLK: A Dream Deferred, which featured Halle Berry, Regina King and Isaiah Washington. Sylvester Rivers is a board member of ASMAC (American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers).