This Week In Texas Music History: James Clay
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This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a “messiah” who played with some of the biggest names in jazz.
James Clay was born September 8, 1935, in Dallas. He played saxophone while attending Huston-Tillotson College in Austin and later at the University of North Texas in Denton. In 1955, Clay moved to Los Angeles, where he quickly established a reputation as a gifted innovator in the hard-bop and freestyle jazz circles. After performing in Red Mitchell’s popular band, Clay joined the Jazz Messiahs and collaborated with such artists as Ornette Coleman and David “Fathead” Newman.
In 1960, James Clay turned down an offer to replace John Coltrane in Miles Davis’s band. However, Clay continued performing and worked with such major stars as Ray Charles.
Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll give a shout out to a man who certainly did his share of shouting.
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