Clayton (BigTrigger) Corley, Sr. is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He developed his love of writing at the age of 14 and his love of jazz from as far back as he can remember. While in high school, he wrote for the school newspaper and was recognized by the Pulitzer Prize Committee for Journalism for his articles about the West Philadelphia High Speedboys basketball team. As of May 2005, he became a published author with the release of Universal Moods (a short story collection). Clayton credits his literary influences from the likes of poets Langston Hughes, George Moses Horton and his mother, the late Barbara Mae Ayers, who was an accomplished writer in her own right.

His love of jazz stems from childhood when he was asked to play the albums belonging to his parents while they entertained guests in the basement of their home. Yes, they ran a speakeasy and Clayton was the "Record Guy." His parent's collection consisting of artists such as Miles Davis, Errol Garner, Cannonball Adderley, and Nancy Wilson created the foundation for his broad knowledge of jazz. Clayton feels that jazz and poetry were made for each other. "Both have elements of improvisation and are major ways of negotiating agendas and communicating with one another. They also have vast history especially as it relates to our culture. These two art forms need to be kept alive and passed down to future generations." That's what Spotlight on Jazz & Poetry strives to do. He was born under the sign of Pisces. As is true to most born under that sign, Clayton is a "Dreamer." This trait is evident in his writing and has helped in formulating the concept for his radio program. Clayton is married, has four children, and just recently became a grandfather.

He loves to cook and bake (carrot cake being his specialty)

Spotlight on Jazz & Poetry premiered in April of 2006 and is hosted by Clayton (BigTrigger) Corley Sr. Beginning January 20, 2008, the show will be featured on the new Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry website.

The concept of the show is based on parings of jazz musicians and their poetic contemporaries. During the program, biographical information is provided on each artist, so in a sense you can say that the show is educational as well as entertaining. At Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry, we like to refer to it as EDUTAINMENT .

The goal of the program is to educate everyone, about the history and importance of Jazz and Poetry. Clayton does a lot of research on each artist that is showcased on the program, so he stays pretty busy. He has collected so much music over his lifetime that he probably will never run out of artists to showcase. He is passionate about keeping the history of Jazz and Poetry in the forefront of black culture and consciousness.

The first show highlighted the music of John Coltrane and the poetry of Amiri Baraka. Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry (SOJP) has since featured artists such as Dinah Washington (musician), George Benson (musician), Arine Ward (poet), Stephane Moore (poet), and Lawrence Jones (musician). Leaving no stone unturned, SOJP features both legends and the newer artists in both genres. SOJP is also known for its in-depth interviews with artists such as Nikki Giovanni (poet) and Mulgrew Miller (musician). These interviews provide artists with a forum to talk about their work and the creative process.

Tune in for this exciting show with host Tania-Maria Xavier.

Show times: 8PM Pacific 10PM Central 11PM Eastern

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