Jay Clayton (musician)


Jay Clayton is an American avant-garde jazz vocalist and educator.

Career

Born Judith Colantone in Youngstown, Ohio, she received piano lessons at an early age. She attended Miami University in Ohio, where she studied classical music during the week and performed at jazz clubs as a vocalist during the weekend. She graduated with a degree in Music Education in 1963, then moved to New York City.
Clayton became part of the free jazz and avant-garde jazz crowd, which was unusual for a vocalist. She worked with Muhal Richard Abrams, Gary Bartz, Jane Ira Bloom, George Cables, Steve Lacy, Julian Priester, Perry Robinson, and Mark Whitecage. In her career as an educator, she taught for twenty years at the Cornish College of the Arts. She has also taught at City College of New York, The New School, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop, the Vermont Jazz Workshop, and the Banff Centre in Canada.

Discography

With John Cage
With Vocal Summit