Clayton Cameron
Senior Continuing Lecturer - Percussion, Director of Jazz Combo
While growing up in Oakland and Vacaville, California, Teodross’ parents exposed him to a wide range of music including traditional Eastern and Western African music, Soul, Rock, and Jazz. At ten, his father started him with classical guitar lessons. Jolted by the sound of John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps,’ Teodross switched to the saxophone at thirteen. As a testament to his young promise, the great Wynton Marsalis purchased a saxophone for him. At 17, Teodross eventually won a full music scholarship to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
In 1994, while at Berklee, Teodross launched his first album In Other Words on GRP/Impulse records. During this time he performed and/or recorded with many Master Jazz musicians including the Cedar Walton Sextet (featuring Art Farmer on trumpet), Hank Jones, Ben Riley, Harold Mabern, Cyrus Chestnut, Lewis Nash, Donald Harrison, Bobby Watson, The Roy Hargrove Big Band and (3X) Grammy Award winner, Dee Dee Bridgewater.
Teodross has played and/or recorded with Contemporary artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Leela James, Matchbox Twenty, Train, Mos Def, and The Roots.
Teodross’ last two CDs feature the music of two of his biggest influences in Jazz. After The Rain: A Night For Coltrane explores the music of John Coltrane. His most recent cd is Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious Monk.
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