Birmingham Jazz Legend – Cleveland Eaton
I live in Birmingham. In fact, all of us editors live here. And one of the city’s lesser-known treasures, even to travel writers, plays jazz every Wednesday night at a little Crestline neighborhood café called the Open Door. His name is Cleveland Eaton. Cleve was Count Basie’s last standup bass player, which makes him a living legend in jazz circuits, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame inducted him to their Montgomery space barely two months ago. I first met Cleve two years ago when, researching a feature story for another magazine, I covered the Birmingham vanguard of players, several of whom drop in on the Wednesday night jams.
(Portrait by Jason Wallis)
Cleve, if you can ever meet him, talks a lot like he plays the bass. He scats, bips, and hisses out stories you might question if you simply met him out on the street. Miles Davis in Central Park. Sammy Davis Jr. eyeing his wife. Working with Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstein, and Sarah Vaughan. Chatting with the man is almost as good as watching him rip the bass. Almost. When Cleve goes into a bass solo, the room stops. He embraces the worn, reddish instrument. He loses time, eyes closed and mouth barely open. The seventy-something hands picking faster the gaze can follow. It’s something to behold.
If you ever get a chance to catch Cleve performing live, you’ll know what I mean. Or see his live clips on YouTube, especially this one, where the Count himself perks up to a Cleve riff (minute 2:00).
Love the Jazz! Thanks for sharing the concerts too!
That look is priceless.
Taylor, thanks for the great story on Cleve!
Janet
Webmaster
ClevelandEaton.com
businesses have diversified into the service economy, including the financial services, insurance, legal, and healthcare sectors, though the city’s population has continued to decline. Cleveland is also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
it’s a good theam i just luv that..
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I read that all tests lose their usefulness if the patient is already taking a gluten-free diet. Intestinal damage begins to heal within weeks of gluten being removed from the diet, and antibody levels decline over months.
by the looks of it, you can tell the man plays good jazz.
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I was looking information about this guy and is really impressive what he does is just incredible he has so much talent in his blood.
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 7th-14th 2009 issue of the Birmingham Weekly, a free weekly paper, Eaton was diagnosed with oral cancer. At present (January 2011) he is cancer free.
it’s so hard to give all people genuine smile .
i always try and try to it .
but it keep stay to hard .
I’ll just try it !!
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The Minister himself with his sisters husbands returning from Boston a little after the engagement
For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations, they would repent, and know that he be their God
They at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified. Wherefore, because of their iniquities
Ana I will fortify this land against all other nations, and he that fighteth against Zion, shall perish
But at present there was nothing more to be said. Mr. Woodhouse very soon followed them into the drawing-room.
They are jealous even of his regard for his father. In short I can feel no dependence on his coming, and I wish Mr. Weston were less sanguine.
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