He was also a featured member of the school’s jazz ensemble and orchestra. In 1981, he was a featured soloist at the North American Saxophone Alliance national convention; in 1983 a saxophone quartet in which he played soprano saxophone were finalists in the national Coleman Competition for Chamber Ensembles.

After graduating from CSULB, Jay began his freelance career in Southern California. His performance credits include performances with Idina Menzel, Michael Feinstein, Meghan Trainor, Johnny Mathis, Seth McFarlane, Take 6, Jerry Seinfeld, Cirque Du Soliel, and many others.

Jay is a member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and also appears regularly with many other Southern California big bands including Tom Kubis, John Daversa, and Bob Mintzer. He holds the principal saxophone chair in the Long Beach Municipal Band, and performs with the Pasadena Pops, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony. He is also a member emeritus of the Disneyland Band, retiring as principal saxophonist after playing every woodwind chair in the ensemble.

Jay has been in the orchestras for shows like Phantom of The Opera, Wicked, Book of Mormon, Young Frankenstein, and many more, performing at venues such as the South Coast Repertory Theatre, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the Ahmanson Theatre. He has recorded with Michael Bublé, Tom Kubis, Michael Brecker, and many others, including playing on soundtracks for parades and rides at Disneyland and other theme parks around the world.

His recent work on soundtracks for motion pictures and television includes Toy Story 2 & 3, Tower of Terror, Frozen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Secret Life of Pets, World of Warcraft and Gangster Squad, to name a few. He is active as an artist/clinician, and is a Vandoren Reed Artist.

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