Cleveland Eaton

Cleveland Josephus Eaton II (born August 31, 1939) is an American jazz double bassist, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and head of his own record company from Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His most famous accomplishments are playing with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra. His 1975 recording Plenty Good Eaton is considered a classic in the funk music genre.[1] He has been inducted into both the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.[2][3][4][5]

Cleveland Eaton
Cleve Eaton
Background information
Birth nameCleveland Josephus Eaton II
Born (1939-08-31) August 31, 1939
Fairfield, Alabama, U.S.
GenresJazz, swing, funk, R&B, pop
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, record producer
InstrumentsDouble bass
Years active1960–present
Associated actsRamsey Lewis, Count Basie Orchestra
Websitewww.clevelandeatonmusic.com

Biography
Eaton at a rehearsal before performing at the 2008 Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival in Birmingham, Alabama.

Eaton began studying music at the age of five, and by the time he was fifteen, he had mastered the piano, trumpet, and saxophone. He began playing bass when a teacher allowed him to take one home, spending nearly every waking hour learning the instrument. This lead him to become what many call one of the most versatile and best jazz bassists in the business.[5][6] Eaton came from a music-loving family, including an older sister who studied at both Fisk University and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He was also a student of John T. "Fess" Whatley, one of the most influential and well-known educators in American jazz music during the 1920s and 1930s. who also mentored Sun Ra and Erskine Hawkins.[7][8] Eaton played in a jazz group in college at Tennessee A & I State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in music. He has lent his talents to over 100 albums, and composed about three times as many songs.[6][2] After spending years on the road as a musician and arranger with a list of artists who form a virtual Who's Who of jazz, Eaton returned to Birmingham, Alabama, to join UAB's music department in 1996.[9]

Eaton has played on notable recording sessions with John Klemmer, Ike Cole, Bunky Green, The Dells, Bobby Rush, Minnie Riperton, Jerry Butler and Rotary Connection, 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. He has also performed with Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Mimi Hines, Sammy Davis, Jr., Julie London, Bobby Troup, Brook Benton, Lou Rawls, Nipsey Russell, Morgana King, Gloria Lynne, Herbie Hancock, Magic City Jazz Orchestra, The Platters, Temptations, and The Miracles. In 1974, he began performing and touring with his group Cleve Eaton and Co. In 2004 his group became Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All Stars.[2]

Discography

As leader
  • Half and Half (Gamble, 1973)
  • Plenty Good Eaton (Black Jazz, 1975)
  • Instant Hip (Ovation, 1976)
  • Keep Love Alive (Ovation, 1979)
  • Strolling with the Count (Ovation, 1980)

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

With the Count Basie Orchestra

  • Kansas City Shout (1980). Pablo
  • Warm Breeze (1981).
  • 88 Basie Street (Fantasy, 1983
  • Me and You (Pablo, 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)

With Bunky Green

With Ramsey Lewis

With the Soulful Strings

References
  1. "Cleveland Eaton | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. "Alabama Music Hall of Fame :: Cleveland Eaton". March 26, 2017. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017.
  3. "Untitled Document". July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015.
  4. "Birmingham Jazz Legend – Cleveland Eaton | Southern Living Blog". March 27, 2017. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017.
  5. Fuqua, C.S. (2011). Alabama Musicians: Musical Heritage from the Heart of Dixie. The History Press. ISBN 9781609491574.
  6. "Cleveland Eaton Page". Soulwalking.co.uk.
  7. "Fess Whatley - Bhamwiki". Bhamwiki.com.
  8. "John T. "Fess" Whatley". Encyclopedia of Alabama.
  9. Short, Dale (1997). ""UAB's Jazz Man: Cleveland Eaton"". UAB Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12.
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