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Meet Equinox:

Clayton Englar (Tenor & Soprano Sax, Flute, Alto Flute, Recorder) Joe Jackson (Trombone) Pete Chauvette (Vibraphone, Marimba)

Wade Matthews (Electric & Clevinger Bass) Roderick Johnson (Drums) Alfredo Mojica (Percussion)

Saxophonist, flutist, composer, arranger and band leader Clayton Englar began his musical career in the San Francisco Bay Area. During the 1970's he played with and co-led a variety of jazz, contemporary and Latin bands. The last of these, "Thursday Group" (formed with guitarist Douglas Lichterman in 1978), performed mostly original material in a contemporary jazz vein. After working in various local clubs, including the legendary Keystone Korner, the group was temporarily disbanded in 1980 as Lichterman moved to New York City and Englar to Silver Spring, Maryland. After recruiting a new rhythm section, they began performing again in New York. This eventually led to their first album ("Thursday Group"), co-produced by the two musicians in 1982 for Lichterman's newly-formed Pathfinder Records. By 1988, the label had grown substantially (signing such artists as guitarists Bill Connors and John Abercrombie, pianist Richard Beirach, and the quartet Quest ), and released Thursday Group's second album, "Uncle Mean".

Since moving to the Washington, D.C. area, besides running repair his own woodwind instrument repair business, Mr. Englar has played with a wide range of ensembles - from Latin dance bands to rhythm and blues combos, the D.C. Jazz Workshop Orchestra, various big bands (including a three year stint as lead sax with Doc Scantlin's Imperial Palms Orchestra), as well as his own groups - the most notable being the highly-acclaimed Windmill Saxophone Quartet.

Formed in 1984, Windmill has performed in several area clubs and festivals, as well as engagements in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The group has developed its own distinct and highly eclectic sound over the years, drawing not only from jazz but classical, pop, Latin and avant-garde forms, and using a vast array of woodwind instruments. In 1985 Mr. Englar received a generous performance grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for Windmill, and in 1988 he produced their first album, "Very Scary" (again on Pathfinder). This recording received many favorable reviews, and was nominated for that year's NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors) Best Jazz  Album award. Their new album, "This'n'That", was recently released on Global View Music. Recorded by audiophile/minimalist maverick recording engineer Pierre M. Sprey, at his Mapleshade studio, this new CD will be an aural as well as musical pleasure to listen to.

Mr. Englar's most recent project is Equinox. With this group, besides combining jazz with Latin, African and other "World Music" rhythms, he has made a conscious effort to not always rely on the traditional jazz form of "melody/solos/melody", but to try some alternatives - improvisation interspersed with written melodic statements, and vice-versa, different harmonic structures for the solo and melody sections, group improvisation, etc. The result is a truly unique musical experience!

Clayton currently lives in Olney, Maryland with his wife Liz, their two children now adults and off pursuing their own careers (what empty nest?). Besides his own musical projects, Clayton performs regularly with local roots/Afropop group Elikeh, and occasionally with the 14-piece Afrofunk band Chopteeth, as well as various jazz groups, including Project Natale. There are also occasional classical flute gigs with guitarist Jim Hightower in their flute and guitar duo, Con Moto.

After graduating in January of 2002 with a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University, a new concept to Mr. Englar - a full-time day job! - began to take effect. He is currently working with children and adolescents with severe autism at the Community School of Maryland, part of CSAAC (Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children), a non-profit organization supporting individuals with all forms of autism.

What is Occupational Therapy? Click here!.
What is Autism? Click here!.
 

Last updated: November 30, 2007