Cleveland Eaton

Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton
Cleve Eaton
Background information
Born	August 31, 1939 (1939-08-31) (age 72) Fairfield, Alabama United States
Genres	Jazz, swing, funk, R&B, pop
Occupations	Musician, bandleader, producer, composer, publisher, arranger, businessman
Instruments	Double Bass, saxophone, trumpet, tuba
Years active	1960 to present

Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton (born August 31, 1939) is an American jazz double bassist from Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. His most famous accomplishments are substantial playing stints with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and later with the Count Basie Orchestra. His 1975 recording Plenty Good Eaton is also considered a classic in the funk music genre.^[1]

Biography

Eaton has played on notable recording sessions with nearly all genres – jazz with John Klemmer and Bunky Green, R&B with The Dells and Bobby Rush, pop with Minnie Riperton, Jerry Butler and Rotary Connection, big band music with George Benson, Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, Billy Eckstein, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald. Eaton was dubbed “the Count’s Bassist” during his seventeen year stint and over ten recordings with the Count Basie Orchestra. Eaton has also performed with Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Meme Hines, Sammy Davis, Jr., Julie London, Bobby Troupe, Brook Benton, Lou Rawls, Nipsey Russell, Morgana King, Gloria Lynne, Herbie Hancock, the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, The Platters(original), The Temptations, and The Miracles. In 1974, he began performing and touring with his own group, Cleve Eaton and Co., and in 2004 his group became Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All Stars. Several other well-known Alabama jazz musicians, including pianist Ray Reach, drummer John Nuckols, trumpeter Tommy Stewart and saxophonist Sam Williams, are frequent players with Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All Stars.

According to the May 7–14, 2009 issue of the Birmingham Weekly, a free weekly paper, Eaton was diagnosed with oral cancer. At present (January 2011) he is cancer free.

Discography

Cleve Eaton, rehearsing with the Ray Reach Quartet, for a performance with Lew Soloff at the 2008 Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival in Birmingham, Alabama.

As leader

• 1973: Half and Half (Gamble)
• 1975: The Eaton Menu
• 1975: Plenty Good Eaton (Black Jazz Records)
• 1976: Instant Hip (Ovation)
• 1979: Bama Boogie Woogie (Miracle)
• 1980: Keep Love Alive (Miracle)
• 1983: Love and Dance (TBA Records)
• 1983: Raw "Live Jazz" Featuring Miss Funky Lu (TBA Records)
• I Promise Jesus (TBA Records)
• 1984: A Classic (Cleveland Eaton Enterprises)
• 1985: Vol. 1 Live (TBA Records)
• 1997: Cleve Eaton Orchestra

As sideman

With the Ramsey Lewis

• Wade in the Water (1966)
• Dancing in the Street (1967)
• Goin' Latin (1967)
• Maiden Voyage (1968)
• Another Voyage (1969)
• The Piano Player (1970)
• Upendo Ni Pamoja (1972)
• Funky Serenity (1973)
• Sun Goddess (1974)
• Solar Wind (1974)

With the Count Basie Orchestra

• Strolling with the Count (1980). Ovation
• Kansas City Shout (1980). Pablo
• Warm Breeze (1981).
• 88 Basie Street (1983). Fantasy. (Winner 1984 Grammy Awards Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band)
• Me and You (1983).
• Fancy Pants (1983).
• The Legend, the Legacy (1989)
• George Benson/Count Basie Orchestra Big Boss Band (1990).
• Best of the Count Basie Big Band (1991)
• Live at El Morocco (1992).
• Joe Williams/Count Basie Orchestra "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water" (1992)
• Joe Williams/Count Basie Orchestra "Orchestra Hall, Detroit, November 20, 1992" (1992)

With Bunky Green

• Playing for Keeps (1966)

With Gene Ammons

• w/Dexter Gordon The Chase (1970)
• w/James Moody Chicago Concert (1971)

With the Soulful Strings

• Groovin' with the Soulful Strings (1967)
• The Magic of Christmas (1968)

With Robert Moore

• Serve You Ma'am (2000)
• Wildcat (2005)

Compilations

• Santa's Bag: An All-Star Jazz Christmas "Christmas Blues" (1994) Telarc

References

1. ^ Allmusic biography

External links

• LA Times Awards Database
• Alabama Music Hall of Fame
• Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
• All Music
• Cleveland Eaton website
• Cleveland Eaton at Bhamwiki.com
• Short, Dale (Fall 1997) "UAB's Jazz Man: Cleveland Eaton" UAB Magazine Vol. 17, No. 4
• "Jazz in the Magic City" (VHS) Documentary Film by Sandy Jaffe, 1985

Persondata
Name	Eaton, Cleveland
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 31, 1939
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death