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Born and raised in northern California, Clayton started playing
clarinet at age ten. Within a couple of years he fell in love
with the saxophone, and was particularly drawn to the bigger horns.
His commitment to jazz was cemented by playing bari sax for the
charismatic leader/arranger of California’s top-ranked high
school big band.
Continuing to play in the Bay Area,
Clayton’s next great mentor in jazz was the late sax legend
Joe Henderson. Studying with Joe and playing in San Francisco
throughout the '70s, Clayton joined and co-led a variety of jazz,
fusion and Latin bands—the last being the contemporary jazz
quartet, Thursday Group. Moving east in 1980, Thursday Group recorded
two highly-acclaimed albums for Pathfinder Records over the next
several years.
Settling in the Washington, D.C. area,
Clayton played actively with another eclectic mix of big bands,
Latin and jazz groups, and R&B combos. He also studied theory,
composition and ear-training with the brilliant teacher and musical
guru, Dr. Asher Zlotnik. In 1984 Clayton formed Windmill.
Over the next 18 years, Windmill created
an extraordinarily original, distinctive sound. The Quartet draws
on modern jazz, bebop, Latin, classical, R&B, pop and avant-garde
forms. Every member composes and arranges; every member is a multi-instrumentalist
on various saxes, clarinets, and flutes.
Over the years, Windmill has appeared
at several Mid-Atlantic clubs and festivals. The group's earlier
performances were marked by often loosely-structured pieces, with
liberal doses of free-improvisation. This format gradually gave
way to much more concise, melodic and strongly rhythmical compositions—as
became evident in their 1988 debut recording, Very Scary (for
Pathfinder).
By 1998's This & That (on Global
View Records) their refined and highly-eclectic style had fully
coalesced. The group has, however, now come full-circle with A
Touch Of Evil. The new release features longer works containing
extended improvs, most abetted by equally free-spirited guests.
Clayton continues to compose for and
lead both Windmill and Equinox, a jazz/world/fusion sextet. In
his new professional role as an occupational therapist, he is
also deeply involved in the care and education of autistic children.
Growing up in the Maryland-D.C. area, Jesse joined his first group,
the Ukulele Barbershop Quartet, at age seven. A year later he’d
found the saxophone and was soon playing in his school’s
stage band. By eighth grade he was lead guitarist and singer for
the Stoned Vultures, a local rock and roll group.
A year later he joined his first jazz
band and started composing—the beginning of a lifelong passion
for both disciplines. Jesse continued playing with a variety of
bands through high school, and persued advanced musical studies
at Prince George Community College and St. Mary’s College.
At St. Mary’s he also started studying classical alto saxophone
and flute, and played under legendary trumpeter Cat Anderson.
Jesse soon formed his own jazz/avant garde group, the Frequent
Arkestra.
After graduating college, Jesse continued
composing for and performing with the Arkestra, as well as nearly
a dozen area big bands. He has worked with Archie Shepp, Anthony
Braxton, Carl Grubbs, Jacki Byard and Muhal Richard Abrams. One
of the original, founding members of Windmill, he soon became
their most prolific composer/arranger.
Outside Windmill, Jesse is featured
soloist in several area jazz, Latin and show bands. He keeps busy
with studio work and has recorded with the Craig Bazen Big Band,
the Peter Fraize Sextet, and a number of performance poets. He
is also a dedicated music teacher in jazz and woodwinds.
Growing up in suburban Maryland, Ken Plant started his music studies
on the clarinet at age ten. He continued playing clarinet throughout
high school, then added saxophone in college. At the University
of Maryland he studied saxophone and music composition, focusing
on twentieth century and electronic music forms. During and after
college, Ken started working with local ensembles in several different
genres. He also composed and performed music for Theatre du Jour,
an avant garde theater troupe, and for the Source Theatre Company.
In 1983, Ken moved to Baltimore and,
like Clayton, began intensive studies with Dr. Zlotnik. A year
later he joined Windmill, while continuing to play with other
jazz groups and dance companies in the greater DC area, including
the Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra. He started performing Latin jazz
in the mid-eighties, and is currently touring nationally with
the Millie Jackson Band. In addition, Ken is forming a new band
playing in the Cuban tradition.
Tom’s earliest musical memories involve jazz: a handful of
old Dukes of Dixieland and Shorty Rogers records that he played
to death. He joined his church choir at ten, and then started
studying flute with the choir's director. At age thirteen, jazz
recordings from the local library by the likes of John Coltrane,
Ornette Coleman, John Handy and Miles Davis ignited his love for
jazz and the saxophone. He started playing tenor in high school,
soon joining the school’s jazz band.
Tom began to take his interests more
seriously as a music major in college, and continued playing and
writing for several local jazz groups. He soon was a full-time
musician— performing in a wide variety of styles and contexts..
His next great musical turning point
came in 1987, when he became yet another student of Asher Zlotnik.
Soon after, Tom both completed his music degree studies and became
the newest member of the Windmill Saxophone Quartet. His composing
and performing skills have flourished ever since. He currently
teaches music in area public schools.
For booking and additional info
contact:
Windmill Saxophone Quartet, c/o Global View Records
2800 Emory Church Road, Olney, MD 20832
http://members.aol.com/GloblVillg
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