Clay Moore
Guitar
A recent transplant to Louisville, KY, guitarist Clay Moore picked up the instrument while in high school in El Paso, TX and played his first gigs two years later. Studying on his own and with jazz greats Pat Martino, Joe Pass, Howard Roberts, and John Scofield, Clay learned quickly and was soon performing in cities all over the USA, playing in top 40, R&B, blues, country, rock, and jazz groups. Over time he focused on becoming a full-time jazz artist, both as a sideman and leading his own groups. Clay has performed on stage with many internationally famous jazz artists including Doc Severinsen, Joey DeFrancesco, David Liebman, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Rick Margitza, Bobby Lyle, Kevin Mahogany, and Chuchito ValdÈs, and has also backed up a diversity of artists from other genres ranging from opera star Luciano Pavarotti to country singer Larry Gatlin.
In 1998 Clay released his first CD, Meeting Standards, which reached #21 on national jazz radio playlists and also received airplay in Canada, Europe, South America, and on American Airlines’ in-flight playlist. In addition to Meeting Standards, Clay has recorded two other CDs under his name, To A Tee and °D·melo!
In addition to his performing and recording activities, Clay has been private teaching since 1976 and was faculty at McNally-Smith College of Music, the University of Texas Brownsville, Boise State University, the College of Idaho. Clay taught at the Great Basin Jazz Camp in Caldwell, ID and Jamey Aebersold’s 2019 Summer Jazz Camp.
