And So It Goes (R.M.I. Records)
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Released October 3, 2023
Grammy Nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2025
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mdLcIEdCOSlXXGIpbu-1clzropO9NaaMU
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About:
This album was years in the making and it’s a pleasure to present it to you, our listeners. It represents the laughter, thoughts, hours of discussion and experimenting, choking back of tears and just swinging hard for the sake of it, that exists in our band. I think you’ll hear some of the most intensely raw playing that this ensemble has ever done. The music covers the spectrum of colors and emotions from “letting it all hang out” (ok—I’m dating myself) to the more personal and introvertive perspective on the music.
Jeff Hamilton shines—he always does—as a player and composer. But this time he has brought some of his magical “red sparkle,” evidently left over from his pre-teen drum set.
One of my favorite tunes, BUHAINA, BUHAINA, was written by Ray Brown to feature Jeff in Ray’s trio. This definitely has that red sparkle all over it.
One could take a page out of Milt Jackson’s philosophy that if you want to be featured, contribute a tune that let’s you strut your stuff. Our bassist, Jon Hamar, did just that and the result is a wonderfully bass-centric song, THE BARN.
Our treatment of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD is inspired by the inner conflict that Louis Armstrong had with his hit version. He was called an “Uncle Tom,” a traitor to the black community by singing a song that seemed to ignore the wars, civil rights movement, air pollution and more. His second version of the song included a spoken rebuttal that allowed him to explain what he meant; that was my head-space when I wrote this arrangement.
We dedicate this recording to the memory of my brother, Jeff. It’s our first recording without him. His spirit and musical concepts affect our approach and interpretation of everything we play. It is beautiful and uncanny how his soul remains a loving and permanent dye that colors all that we do.
AND SO IT GOES, originally arranged to feature Jeff, gets a heart-wrenching reading by our lead alto saxophonist, Keith Fiddmont.
Brother Jeff’s composition, THE JONES BROTHERS, features our newest member, alto saxophonist, Jacob Scesney and is full of the kind of fire that my late sibling would embrace.
There’s more. Lots more. I’m proud of each of these musicians and honored to grow and swing with them.
Thanks from your fan,
John (September 2023)
Track Listing:
1. See See Rider (Ma Rainey) 5:21
2. Thelonious (Thelonious Monk) 5:31
3. The Jones Brothers (Jeff Clayton) 7:33
4. And So It Goes (Billy Joel) 6:03
5. The Barn (Jon Hamer) 10:02
6. Haitian Fight Song (Charles Mingus) 6:23
7. Buhaina, Buhaina (Ray Brown) 6:47
8. What a Wonderful World (Bob Thiele / George David Weiss) 3:17
9. Sybille’s Day (Jeff Hamilton) 7:44
Personnel:
John Clayton: arco bass (tracks 1, 4, 9)
Jon Hamar: bass
Jeff Hamilton: drums
Steve Kovalcheck: guitar
Tamir Hendelman: piano
Adam Schroeder, Charles Owens, Jacob Scesney, Keith Fiddmont, Rickey Woodard: saxophone
Erik Hughes, Ira Nepus, Ivan Malespin, Juliane Gralle: trombone
Bijon Watson, Clay Jenkins, Gilbert Castellanos, James Ford, Kye Palmer: trumpet
Recorded at Hitkor, Los Angeles, CA, on June 12 & 13, 2023.
Dedicated to the memory of Jeff Clayton.
Produced by Jeff Hamilton & John Clayton
Engineered and Mixed by Russ Miller
Assistant Engineer: Michael Gorecki
Mastered by David Donnelly
Project coordination: J4U Entertainment, LLC, Terri L. Harper, David A. Harper
Photo: Shane O’Donnell Photography
Album Art: Cassidy Douglas for RMI Music Productions Inc.
Review:
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra has been one of jazz’s top big bands since it was formed in the mid-1980s. It has always been filled with some of the top Los Angeles area musicians. Its swinging group spirit, which is filled with mutual respect and love, has always been very appealing. Led by bassist-arranger-composer John Clayton, drummer Jeff Hamilton, and the late altoist Jeff Clayton, the orchestra has recorded quite a few memorable albums through the years.
And So It Goes is the band’s first recording since the passing of Jeff Clayton whose presence will always be missed. The set finds the orchestra evolving a bit with some new personnel and John Clayton contributing arrangements that are often a bit more advanced and harmonically complex than his previous ones.
The album starts with an inspired version of the 1920s blues “See See Rider” that begins with John Clayton’s bowed bass. The ensembles gradually build in passion and intensity behind the solos of guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, tenor-saxophonist Rickey Woodard, and trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos before the piece concludes as it started, with bowed bass.
“Thelonious” has fine spots for Kovalcheck and trumpeter Clay Jenkins while Jeff Clayton’s “The Jones Brothers” features the group’s newest member (altoist Jacob Scesney) and pianist Tamir Hendelman. A relative of “Blue Bossa,” “The Jones Brothers” contains lots of dissonance in its ensembles and some colorful drum breaks from Jeff Hamilton. “And So It Goes” was originally supposed to feature Jeff Clayton. The melancholy and mournful performance instead has altoist Keith Fiddmont as the main soloist. The band’s other bassist Jon Hamar is featured on his “The Barn” which finds the band swinging at a slow-medium tempo. Charles Mingus’ “Haitian Fight Song” has both Clayton and Hamar on basses and includes ensembles worthy of Mingus with several horn players soloing together at length.
And So It Goes concludes with Ray Brown’s “Buhaina, Buhaina,” a somber ensemble version of “What A Wonderful World,” and Hamilton’s joyfully swinging “Sybille’s Day” which includes a hot tradeoff between Rickey Woodard and trumpeter Kye Palmer. Throughout the album, Jeff Hamilton’s drumming is a major force as always, driving the band, inspiring the soloists, and adding fire and color to the music.
Scott Yanow (L.A. Jazz Scene Magazine)
