Sonny Clay’s Orchestra played Plantation Café in Culver City, California in the mid-1920s. The nightclub was located on Washington Boulevard, at Elenda Street, across the street from La Ballona School. Silent film comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle owned the club from 1928 to 1930. The orchestra’s first record was released under the name of the California Poppies in 1923. They also released records under the name of The Stompin’ Six in 1925.
 The band had some strong ties with the New Orleans Jazz scene. Trumpet player Ernest Coycault was from Violet, Louisiana a small town about 15 miles north of the city. Coycault had played in the Peerless Orchestra and had replaced Bunk Johnson in the Superior Orchestra while living in New Orleans. In 1914 he moved to Los Angeles to join Clay’s band. Sonny Clay himself had played drums in Jelly Roll Morton’s band in Mexico and Southern California in and with Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra in California in the early 1920s. Chicago Breakdown is one of Morton’s songs that Louis Armstrong and his Stompers also recorded in 1927. Vocalion 15641 was released under the name of Sonny Clay and his Orchestra.

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
Bogloosa Blues (Sonny Clay / Wiedoeft)	7-28-1925	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion B 15078
California Stomp (Sturdevant)	8-26-1926	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion B 1050
Chicago Breakdown (Jelly Roll Morton)	2-2-1926	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion B 15254
Devil’s Serenade (Sonny Clay)	1-12-1928	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion B 15641
In My Dreams (I’m Jealous Of You) (Leon Rene / Otis Rene)	1-12-1928	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion A 15641
Jambled Blues (Sonny Clay)	7-28-1925	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion A 15078
Plantation Blues (Sonny Clay / Ernest Coycault)	2-2-1926	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion A 15254
Slow Motion Blues (Sonny Clay)	8-26-1926	Los Angeles, California	Vocalion A 1050

Artist	Instrument
William Blakeney	Trumpet
John Carson	Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet
Sonny Clay	Piano, Leader
Ernest Coycault	Trumpet
Leonard Davidson	Clarinet
Louis Dodd	Alto Saxophone, Banjo, Guitar
Fitzgerald	Banjo
Luther Graven	Trombone
William Griffin	Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet
Herman Hoy	Tuba
Rupert Jordan	Banjo
Archie Lancaster	Trumpet
David Lewis	Drums
Willie McDaniels	Drums, Kazoo
John Studevant	Clarinet
W.B. Woodman	Trombone