TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Jazz trumpeter Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton is celebrated for his vibrant contributions to Count Basie's orchestra. Louis Armstrong’s musical journey was significantly influenced when he heard the song "Confessin' (That I Love You)" while strolling past a shop window.
His musical journey began early. He played piano at six, guided by his amateur musician father, but switched to the trumpet in his teens, changing his life. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to form a band. A major opportunity arose in New York with bandleader Willie Bryant, but a detour in Kansas City altered his path. Encouraged by Count Basie, Clayton stayed, sharing his immense talent. Known as a "mainstreamer," he stood among the swing era’s finest, blending revivalist and modernist jazz.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible in part by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.