| February 6, 2026 | |
| Charleston, IL | |
| Doudna Fine Arts Center | |
| Google Map |
John Clayton & the 66th Annual Jazz Festival
February 6, 2026
7:30 PM IN THE DVORAK CONCERT HALL (Doudna Fine Arts Center)
Bassist, composer, arranger and producer John Clayton is a busy man. He is a Grammy winner with nine additional nominations and has written and/or recorded with artists such as Milt Jackson, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, McCoy Tyner, Yo Yo Ma, and Charles Aznavour, to name only a few.
John was the principal bassist in the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra from 1980-1984. In 1986, John co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and rekindled The Clayton Brothers Quintet. In addition to his individual clinics and workshops, he also directs the educational components of Centrum, The Port Townsend Jazz Festival, and the Vail Jazz Workshop.
It is John’s arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner” that helped propel Whitney Houston in her 1990 performance at the Super Bowl (the recording went platinum). His recordings with the Clayton Brothers, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander, Count Basie and others are plentiful. John feels, “I’ve been guided by a village of musicians who helped me understand the humility that goes along with playing music at the highest level you can. Ray Brown used to tell me to ‘Learn how to play the bass!!’ Just take care of the music and it will take care of you.”
Location Information
Dvorak Concert Hall
Doudna Fine Arts Center
1860 7th Street
Charleston, IL 61920
Price Information
TICKETS: $25/$20/$15/$10 (FESTIVAL ATTENDEE)
GROUPS OF 4+ SAVE $5.00 PER TICKET
Location
Eastern Illinois University, 9th Street at Garfield Ave., Charleston, IL 61920, Charleston, IL, United States, Illinois 61920 | Charleston, IL