he decided to return to Kansas and nightly dancing, and some concert though he had a premonition that it fini'h his schooling before settling down music such as Rhapsody in Blue. would he his last chance. He was taken on the west coast After he did. he When Clayton returned to the United to New York in an ambulance after soon was hack in Los Angeles to start States, the band broke up, along with the session and never returned to the a music career. his hasty marriage. Buck had been band But the story that there was an He began playing in the Red Mill sending arrangements to Willie Bryant, empty chair on the bandstand for a dance hall for taxi dances. Next he who had the band at New Y'ork City’s long time after Evans’ death is the bee 'me a member of Earl Dancer’s 14 Ubangi club, and hoped to take his 14 product of some writer's imagination. Pieces from Harlem, a band made up pieces east with him to play under of ( alifornia musicians, none of whom Bryant, The band refused to go so /^layton left Basie in 1943 to go ever had been in Harlem. When Dancer Clayton took off by himself. He got as into the army for three years. He left one day, reportedly with the band’s far as Kansas City. never went back to a regular job with money, Clayton found himself with a a big band after coming out of the 14-piece band of his own. They worked /Aran (Hot Lips) Page wanted to service. After several seasons as a fea­ steadily on the coast from 1932 to leave the Basie crew, then playing tured soloist with Jazz at the Phil­ 1934. the Reno club, so Clayton moved in to harmonic, he settled down in New York During 1932, Clayton hail the op­ replace Page. The manager refused to City and has operated on a freelance portunity to hear, for the first time, pay when Clayton took over the trum­ basis since. Louis Armstrong in front of Luis Rus­ pet spot. The rest of the band, some He is in demand in many differ­ sell's Band at Sebastian’s Cotton club. of whom were playing horns held to­ ent corners of the jazz world. His Clayton recalls being especially taken gether by rubber bands, pooled their work has included many Dixieland con­ with Armstrong's version ot I'm Con- money so Buck could get $2 a night certs, and he credits the New Orleans fessin’. He also was inspired by the for his efforts. clarinetist, Tony Parenti, for teaching late Joe Smith's horn when the latter Shortly after Clayton became a reg­ him Dixie techniques—as well as show­ turned up in California with McKin­ ular member of the Basie group, jazz ing him how to make spaghetti sauce. ney's Cotton Pickers on a road tour. connoisseur John Hammond arrived in Buck s favorite Dixieland trumpeters town, and the rest is Basie band his­ are Charlie Teagarden and Wild Bill hen 1934 came, pianist and band­ tory Buck laughs now when he thinks Davison. For six months in the last leader Teddy Weatherford, who of how Basie and the hoys, including year, Clayton was the featured horn at Whad inspired Earl Hines back in Chihimself,­ dreamed of the days they Eddie Condon’s club in New York. cago. was in California to recruit a would be making the stupendous sum Clayton has made several tours in bbies in­ band for an engagement in Shanghai, of $100 a week a man. They had been Europe. In France, he has been under ; on rose China. He liked Clayton’s group and making $18 a week, except for Buck, the sponsorship of both Charles De­ terest in offered them the job. who got $14. launay and Hugues Panassie, who rep­ iy color At that time. Buck was courting On their last night in Kansas City, resent opposite poles of jazz tastes. iome-life Gladys Henderson, an attractive chorus the Basie band fought a battle of bands They are good friends of Buck’s, but rs he has girl at the Cotton club. The chorus line against Duke Ellington in the Paseo dislike each other, which amuses Clay­ festivities was doubling in the movies, working ballroom Clayton remembers that ton He was not amused, however, accepted with Duke Ellington's band in its first Basie's men were cocky and their spirit when on one concert date for Panassie. i’s Story- film. Check and Double Check. Gladys won the battle, even though they played the followers of Delaunay cut the wires the pro- wanted to go with Clayton. They de­ out of tune. to the microphones from under the hristmas cided to marry. The Basie band's first engagement stage. >r a day. Word got around at Paramount, and out of KC saw them follow the great Trumpeter Clayton recorded for Parsons, they stopped making the movie long Fletcher Henderson Band into Chi­ many years under an exclusive contract minister, enough to bring the romance to mar­ cago’s Grand Terrace. The band laid with Columbia Records, but recently ght Buck riage Buck, even so, was not so sure an egg there. But Buck and other Basie- has been making records with various nts were this was what he wanted and had not ites had a chance to hear Roy Eldridge companies as a freelancer. Early in luck was made a definite decision up to the and Zutty Singleton's jam band in the the fall he was the featured horn jven the scheduled hour of the marriage. He Three Deuces. The next seven years man on a Kansas City-style date or­ ay in the stood out in front, he recalls, leaning held many kicks for Basie's bandsmen. ganized by Tom Gwaltney, a former utted his against a telephone pole, trying to de­ They made many records (starting with Bobby Hackett and Billy Butterfield ;s in the cide The ceremony was held up two their ill-fated arrangement with Decca clarinetist. A record company executive . Clayton hours before they could find Buck. that deprived them of royalties), in­ remarked as he listened to Buck's horn When he was finally escorted inside, cluding many small-group sessions, like solo on K.C. Ballad. “That Buck—he . L ee Or- the Ellington band started the wedding the Teddy Wilson sides with Billie Hol­ couldn't play badly if he tried.” j., passed march, and Clayton recalled the thrill iday, on which Clayton's accompany­ The trumpet-playing Kansan is look­ ack from of Cootie Williams’ growling trumpet ing horn is outstanding. ing forward to a one-month tour of the late during the procession and the newsreel On the Basie bandstand, after the Switzerland, Germany, and France reat K an­ cameras turning. The Mills Brothers Grand Terrace bomb. Clayton recalled during January, 1961, for the Harold ti. Young sang during the ceremony, and George the unique relationship between saxo­ Davison booking office of London. nated by Raft, who was featured in the movie, phonists Herschel Evans and Lester Clayton will take his favorite mu­ types of beamed. He had been partially respon­ Young. Clayton said they admired each sicians on the trip; Emmett Berry, ; trumpet sible for setting it all up. other's playing but were not particu­ trumpet; Dickie Wells, trombone; Bud­ Buck and The Claytons went to China, where larly friendly. They sometimes traded dy Tate, tenor saxophone; Earl War­ rn they spent 1934-36. except for 10 days choruses while sitting back to back on ren, alto saxophone, and Gene Ramey, (t Parsons m Japan, working with Weatherford the stand, their styles miles apart The bass. He still has to locate a pianist and shed high •it an English dance hall in Shanghai night that Evans was taken to a hos­ drummer and also is working on getting lia. Short- known as the Canidromc. It was good pital, the band was playing a battle cither Big Joe Turner or Jimmy Wither­ es. Buck’s experience for Clayton, for the band of hands in Connecticut, and Herschel spoon to go along and sing the blues. him and was required to play for tea dances, played wonderfully, Clayton said, as

January 19, 1961