Here's that biography stuff that we all live for.

Jay’s reason for picking up a guitar was to write songs. Growing up in Up State New York he joined a band in the 6th grade because he was the only kid with a tape recorder. “My first guitar was an electric guitar that my brother built for me. My second guitar was my sister’s nylon strung classical that I ruined with steel strings.” 

Now Jay lives on the pacific coast in San Mateo County just South of San Francisco. Playing acoustic steel string guitars and using multiple capos with holes cut in them he gets some very bizarre fingerings and interesting chord voicings. He first saw Carol McComb use a banjo capo on a guitar leaving the Low E open, when he got home he started cutting holes in his capos. “I wrote my first song with a cut capo at the 1994 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, while camping in Rocky Mountain National Park.”

1998 was a busy year. Jay left his day job behind and started just playing music in California, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Festivals, Clubs, Coffee Houses, Bars and a clothing optional resort were all part of the touring and 1999 will be even busier.

Already in 1999 Jay has received rave reviews for his CD including being one to the Top 10 CD releases for 1998 on KKUP's Friday Folk-Off with Dave Stafford and Mark Cook. He traveled to New Mexico for the 1999 Folk Alliance to showcase with his fellow pound members and Far From Home. He has been chosen as a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival "New Folks Showcase" and received an endorsement from Elixir Strings by Gore.