John Clayton

* The bassist is the co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the resident group at the Hollywood Bowl.

Getting Ready: I start by calling the KLON jazz hotline--(562) 985-7115--and get a listing of what’s going on in town musically. I always hope there will be an afternoon jazz concert, especially during the summer. Then I’ll stop off at a record store in the Pasadena area, near where I live, such as Tower Records, Borders or Canterbury, where I purchase, not download, some music to play in my car.

Getting Fed: I have several favorite dinner spots, depending where I’m headed that evening. But one in Pasadena is Shiro’s. They have great food. It’s run by a Japanese chef, but there are all kinds of other influences. And they play really great jazz recordings as well.

Hat Trick: In the evening, I’d go to the first set of jazz at Catalina’s Bar and Grill in Hollywood, which has a really cozy and intimate atmosphere. Then I’d go to the second set at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, where the stage is higher and the seating is more theater-like. It’s small enough that it still feels like you’re right there, but it’s large enough so that the sound has a lot of breathing room. Then, if I’m really smokin’, I’ll try to get to a late set at the World Stage in Leimert Park. The World Stage is owned by Billy Higgins, a famous jazz drummer, and they have workshops during the day and performances in the evening. Poetry, dramatic reading, jazz, rap, whatever he wants to happen there that’s creative.

Au Natural: I’ll do the beach or the mountains for some solitude. If I go to the beach, I do that later in the evening and catch the sunset. I’ll sit and stare or walk. I like Venice and Santa Monica, since I grew up there. I get the water and the memories. I live close to the San Gabriel Mountains, and I jog the mountain trails. That’s where I get a lot of my composing and arranging ideas.