Born as Carver Clark Gayton Jr. to Carver Clark Gayton[1] and Mona Marie Lombard,[2] Clark Gayton is a professional musician (trombone,[3] euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, cornet, keyboards, piano), composer and producer.
Clark studied music with Floyd Standifer, JoAnn Christen, Curry Morrison, Julian Priester, Joe Brazil and Buddy Catlet while attending Garfield High School.[4] After graduating from high school in 1981, Clark received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Phil Wilson, Tom Plsek and Tony Lada. He graduated in 1984 and moved to Oakland before moving to New York in 1987 where he lives to this day.[5]
In the early 2000s he joined the Levon Helm Band and performed at Helm's Midnight Ramblers concerts.
For several decades Gayton has toured and recorded toured with Bruce Springsteen, joining in 1997 as part of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions band. He rejoined Springsteen several years later as a regular member of his touring band, playing both trombone and sousaphone.
Gayton is a staple on the New York City music scene often creating a regular series at local bars and clubs including the Parkside Lounge, 55Bar, Bar Lunatico and Nublu.[12] While he has led several bands, most notable is the Jamaican music inspired project Explorations in Dub,.[13]
Gayton's most recent TV work was playing in the burlesque band on the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seasons 4 and 5.
It was reported in March 2023 that Gayton had recently suffered a very serious stroke. A GoFundMe page was set up to help raise money for his rehabilitation.
He is the son of Carver Clark Gayton[1] and Mona Marie Lombard[2] and is the great-grandnephew of the legendary New Orleans musician, Manuel "Fess" Manetta.[17]
The first two professionally trained musicians on his maternal side were Jules and Deuce Manetta who founded the Pickwick Brass Band and played cornet and trombone, respectively. Deuce, trained classically in France, was said to be the first slide trombone player in New Orleans. Valve trombone was the instrument of choice at the time. Their nephew was Manuel Manetta. He began on violin and guitar but did his first paid work as a pianist for Countess Willie Piazza. He played with Buddy Bolden in 1903. By 1910 he had mastered cornet, saxophone, and trombone. Manuel played at Tuxedo Hall with the Eagle band. He went to Chicago in 1913, then returned to New Orleans, played locally for five years. He went to Los Angeles in November 1919 to join Kid Ory. He returned home shortly afterwards and toured as pianist for with Martels' Family Band, then played piano in Ed Allen's Band on riverboats. He settled down in New Orleans where his versatility and musicianship enabled him to work with many bands and orchestras, including Papa Celestin's, Arnold Du Pas and Manual Perez's, and solo work at Lulu White's.[18]
In later years he became the most renowned teacher in New Orleans. He gave occasional public appearances well into his seventies, making a specialty of playing two brass instruments simultaneously. Manuel had a sister, Olivia, who had a son, Lawrence (trombone), and three daughters: Lucille (Clark's grandmother, piano), Dolly (Adams, played all instruments, mother of Justin, Placide, and Gerry Adams), and Gladys (piano). All were born in Algiers.[19]
