Lauderic Caton
| Lauderic Rex Caton | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1910 |
| Origin | Trinidad |
| Died | February 19, 1999 (aged 88) |
| Instruments | Electric guitar |
| Years active | ~1930-1940s |
Lauderic Caton (31 August 1910 – 19 February 1999) was a Trinidadian guitarist who settled in Britain in 1940.[1] He was an early proponent of the use of electric guitar in Britain, particularly in jazz music.[2]
Biography
Caton was born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago.[1] He was an autodidact on guitar, which he played professionally from the age of 17. He was also proficient on saxophone, double bass, and banjo. After spending time in Guadeloupe and Martinique, he moved to Europe in 1938, playing in Paris with Martiniquan musician Oscar Alemán and then in Brussels with Ram Ramirez, Jean Omer, Harry Pohl, and Jamaican Joe Smith. While in Antwerp he played with Gus Clark and Tommy Brookins.
Caton, influenced by Lonnie Johnson and Charlie Christian, first began using an amplifier in May 1940. He played in England with Don Marino Barretto and led a house band at Jig's Club. He worked with Cyril Blake, Johnny Claes, Bertie King, Harry Parry, Dick Katz, and Coleridge Goode. Late in the 1940s he played with Ray Ellington and Ray Nance, playing under the pseudonym Lawrence Rix for legal reasons. Later in his life he also taught and built custom amplifiers.
Lauderic Caton died in London and was buried in Trinidad, as his wishes were carried out by his "adopted daughter" Dr. Ariel Rosita King.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Val Wilmer, "Harlem nights in deepest Mayfair" (obituary), The Guardian, 17 February 1999.
- ↑ Val Wilmer, "Lauderic Caton". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz online.
Sources
- Terry Joseph (February 21, 1999). "TRINI WHO GAVE BRITAIN 'NEW MUSIC' LAID TO REST". Sunday Express. p. 14.
- Val Wilmer (2004). "Caton, Lauderic Rex (1910–1999)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74670.
External links
- "Electric Guitar Pioneer in the UK", from The Scotsman, 1999. The Last Post.
- Val Wilmer, "Harlem nights in deepest Mayfair" (obituary), The Guardian, 17 February 1999.
- Val Wilmer, "How we met: Lauderic Caton and Louis Stephenson", The Independent, 7 February 1993.
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