The Conductor & Musical Director - Clayton J. Poole
Clayton (or Skip as he is known to his family and friends) is a New Hampshire native who has been performing for audiences since he was in his teens and leading bands since his early college days. His roots are deeply embedded in bringing professional live music to audiences throughout the Northeast. He has founded and conducts such diverse groups as The Clayton Poole Orchestra, The Play’rs Orchestra, The New England Society Orchestra, The New England Wind Symphony, and The Paul Whiteman Tribute Orchestra and, most recently, The Capitol Center Jazz Orchestra.

Over the course of his musical career, Clayton has performed with such luminaries as Mel Torme’, Rosemary Clooney, Cab Calloway, Robert Goulet, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, The Four Tops, Dionne Warwick, Lorrie Morgan, Joan Rivers, The Four Freshman, Guy & Ralna and Myron Floren with the Lawrence Welk All-Stars, to name but a few. In addition, he has worked in Concert with jazz instrumentalists such as jazz organist “Wild” Bill Davis, Frank Foster(leader of the Count Basie Orchestra), Frank Tiberi (leader of the Woody Herman Band), Dick Johnson (leader of the Artie Shaw Orchestra), jazz trumpeter Jim Hynes, and the last leader of the Buddy Rich Orchestra, Steve Marcus.

Clayton’s musical groups have performed in various venues throughout the Northeastern United States. His Orchestra opened up the NEW Manchester Airport in a special New Year’s Eve gala. In addition, he re-opened The Wonderland Ballroom in Revere, Massachusetts which was broadcast live on WBZ-TV in Boston. Clayton and The New England Wind Symphony was featured artist at every July 4th celebration event at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire from 1984 to 2006. In July of 2006, Skip and The New England Wind Symphony were invited to perform at the 100th Celebration of Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire.

Skip has spent his career studying the craft and history of world renowned musicians and composers. His reputation as a source of considerable knowledge afforded him the privilege, most recently, to be invited, in May of 2008, to be on a select panel of five (other panel members included renowned Jazz composer and scholar, Gunther Schuller; Boston Pops Assistant Conductor ,Bruce Hangen,; Whiteman’s biographer, Don Rayno ; and the last living member of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Al Gallodoro) at the Berklee College of Music in Boston to discuss the music and influence of Paul Whiteman on 20th Century Jazz.

His groups have performed private celebrations to gala public events and include venues such as The Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Me., The War Memorial Auditorium and Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Ma., The Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Durgin Hall in Lowell, Ma., The Warwick R.I. Music Theatre, The Colonial Theater in Keene, N.H., The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H., The Palace Theater and the Dana Center in Manchester, N.H., The Silver Performing Arts Center, The Parker House Hotel in Boston and The Berkley Performance Center and other venues too numerous to mention.

He has dedicated himself to bringing music to youngsters and has worked with many student groups to embrace and enhance their musical performing skills. His most recent stint with a youth group was as the Director of the St. Anselm College Jazz Band for five years.

What do the audiences like most about Clayton? “He has so much knowledge about the music, the composers and the era the music came from and shares little tales and interesting facts with the audience …he makes it so much fun!”

The Musicians
The musicians who are invited to participate in each of the groups are first call professionals from all over the country. They are the finest musicians in their genre and thoroughly enjoy gathering together to share their talents and love of music – that above all else makes their performances so enjoyable to the audience!

Their individual backgrounds include studying all over the world under the direction of masters in their field; many are now considered masters themselves and are either performing full time or are part of music faculties at prestigious universities and colleges throughout the Northeast United States.

All have performed with major orchestras, symphonies and bands throughout the world. These include The Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Pops Orchestra, The Eastman Wind Ensemble, The St. Louis Symphony, The Chicago Civic Orchestra, The Goldman Band, The Walt Disney World Orchestra, The Orlando Symphony, The Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, The Buddy Rich Orchestra, The Stan Kenton Orchestra, The Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, The Artie Shaw Orchestra, “Boston” , the Pointer Sisters Band and The J. Giles Band. Two words sum up the musicians of the Clayton Poole Orchestras….World class.

The Orchestras
The Orchestras range from a ten-piece group to full scale large ensembles playing jazz, classical, big band, pops, historical re-creation…just about every type of music for the enjoyment of every type of audience.