Elbert Pee Wee Claybrook facts for kids

Elbert "Pee Wee" Claybrook (born March 13, 1912 – died February 25, 1996) was a super talented tenor saxophonist. He came from St. Louis, Missouri. Pee Wee played jazz and swing music for over 50 years! He started his music journey in the late 1930s. Back then, he played with the Fate Marable band on Mississippi riverboats.

In the 1930s, Pee Wee played alongside many famous jazz musicians. These included Jimmy Blanton, Jimmy Forrest, Sid Catlett, Art Blakey, Sweets Edison, and Clark Terry. In 1942, Pee Wee and his friend Clark Terry joined the U.S. Navy. They were sent to play in the band at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station near Chicago, Illinois. In 1944, he moved to the Navy's Pre-Flight School band. This school was located at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California.

Pee Wee Claybrook's Music Career

Starting in St. Louis

Pee Wee Claybrook was a big part of the music scene in St. Louis, Missouri. He helped make the "big band" sound popular there. He played with other great musicians like Clark Terry, who was a trumpeter. They were part of bands like George Hudson's Orchestra, Eddie Randall's Blue Devils, Dewey Jackson, Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, and the St. Louis Crackerjacks.

Moving to California

In 1944, Pee Wee Claybrook moved to California. After World War II, the big band music style started to become less popular. After his time in the Navy, Pee Wee decided to stay in California. He played with Earl Hines, also known as "Earl 'Fatha' Hines," in San Francisco. Pee Wee also kept playing music with Vernon Alley. Vernon had been in the same 45-piece Navy band at St. Mary's College. Pee Wee was a family man and kept a regular job. He bought a home in a new community called Parchester Village, Richmond, California, which was built after the war.

Reunion Concert and Legacy

In 1995, Pee Wee had a special reunion. He played with his old Navy friend and fellow musician, Clark Terry. This historic concert happened at Berkeley's The Freight and Salvage Club. Pee Wee was 84 years old, but he played his tenor saxophone wonderfully! The concert was recorded and released as an album in 1995. It was called Reunion: Clark Terry and Pee Wee Claybrook.

Pee Wee Claybrook helped shape the jazz music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 50 years. He played with the Swing Fever Band. They performed at many jazz clubs and went on concert tours in Northern California. He also played at big events like the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Cotati Jazz Festival, and the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival. Because of his huge impact on jazz music in Northern California, the Napa Valley Jazz Festival created the "Peewee Claybrook Award" in his honor. Thanks to his work with Clark Terry, Pee Wee's music is known and loved by jazz fans all over the world.

Pee Wee Claybrook's Albums

• Reunion: Clark Terry and Pee Wee Claybrook, released November 21, 1995
• Grand Masters of Jazz, released October 15, 2013. This album was with the Swing Fever Big Band on the Openart label.