Peter Clayton
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Peter Clayton (1927-91) was a British music broadcaster and writer, best known for presenting jazz and easy listening music programmes on BBC Radio 1 and 2.
After a period working for Decca Records, Clayton first started to present jazz music on BBC Radio in October 1968 with a programme called Jazz on One which was broadcast on 247 metres Medium Wave on Sunday evenings.
In 1970 he went on to present Jazz Notes and his best remembered programme, Sounds of Jazz later in 1973 when BBC Radio 1 joined the BBC Radio 2 VHF transmitters broadcasting on 88-91 MHZ FM at 10 p.m. every Sunday evening. The theme music to the programme was composed by Laurie Johnson. As well as playing jazz records, Clayton would organise and present ‘live’ jazz recordings with an audience (the tickets were complimentary) with each ‘set’ lasting about 30 minutes at the BBC studios in Maida Vale, London during the week. Artists such as Dave Shepherd with his quintet, Colin Purbrook, Danny Moss and Jeanie Lambe and Kenny Baker (trumpeter) frequently appeared. The Mike Westbrook Orchestra made several broadcasts and filled the studio.
He interviewed the jazz singer Sarah Vaughan on his Sounds of Jazz programme in July,1977 when Vaughan sang a live tribute to the music of composer George Gershwin.
Clayton wrote two books along with colleague Peter Gammond: A bluffer’s Guide to Jazz and Jazz A-Z.
His jazz show Sounds of Jazz continued to be heard on Radio 2 until his death. On BBC Radio 3 he succeeded Steve Race as presenter of the Saturday afternoon programme Jazz Record Requests.
