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Jay Smith Group

Called a "fixture in the Central Valley" (NPR), Jay Smith has had a wide variety of talent flow through his band. From jazz fusion to pop, the band has channeled a wide spectrum of musical genres to stay working and relevant. He is an Alum of California State University Bakersfield and Fresno City College where he earned his Bachelors of Arts and Associates of Arts Degree. He has opened up for groups and musicians as Carl Saunders, Poncho Sanchez, Jeff Coffin, Allan Holdsworth, Malo, Ozomatli, Clayton Cameron, and worked with Kelulu, Mento Buru, The Fresno Philharmonic, Andre Bush, Mike Dana, Velorio, and Patrick Contreras to name a few.

His current projects include Mento Buru which was voted best band of 2018 by Bakersfield Magazine and The Jay Smith Trio/Group which features a variety of players including Cesareo Garasa, Paul Perez, Jay Jay Hicks, Fernando Montoya, Steve Eisen, and Patrick Contreras to name a few.

The band's first album, Unashamed Portrayal, (available on iTunes and 30 other retailers) features Grammy Nominated Guitarist Andre Bush, Jay Jay Hicks, Saxophonist Chris Nguyen, trombonist Joe Vazquez, trumpeter Mark Manda, Fernando Montoya on acoustic and electric bass, Jonathan Weinmann on drums, and Jorge Nunzio Urbina on percussion. It's been featured on ALL ABOUT JAZZ as their download of the day.

Smith's second album, Too Many Notes, was titled by his fans based on his reputation for a blisteringly fast playing style, Patrick Contreras on electric violin, Jay Jay Hicks on 8 string bass, Cesareo Garasa on drums, Fernando Montoya on electric bass and a variety of others are featured on this release.

Smith's third and fourth album are Just Stop and The Trio Showed Up. Just Stop is an album encompassing the time the group spent with Marlon Mackey (vocals) featuring Paul Perez (sax), Justin Kirk on (trombone), Patrick Contreras (violin), Cesareo Garasa (drums), Fernando Montoya (bass), Caleb Moore (bass on "I'm Yours"), Salvador Galindo (guitar on "Torture") James Russell (auxiliary sax on Have I Told You), and Jay Smith (keys). The Trio Showed Up is a live album that Smith produced when the band was performing trio dates throughout 2018 and 2019. Jay Smith (keys, ROLI Seaboard Rise 49), Fernando Montoya (bass) and Cesareo Garasa (electric drums).

Awards

Featured in Bakotopia Magazine, the Bakersfield Californian and FACE Bakersfield, among others, he has been on several radio stations and TV stations including Bakersfield's Channels 17, 23, 29/58, Brighthouse Bakersfield on Demand and 107.1 FM KRAB as well as several times on Fresno's 90.7 KSFR to name a few. In 2010, two of his bands (the Modern Jazz Trio and Kelulu) were selected as Featured Artists on the Global Level on Reverbnation.com. He is a regularly featured artist and lead instructor at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop.

Gear

Yamaha CP88 Hammond Sk188 ROLI Seaboard Rise 49 Korg MicroKorg

Jay Smith Group: Too Many Notes

Read "Too Many Notes" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 6, 2015

Based in Bakersfield, CA, keyboardist, composer Jay Smith's second album is titled Too Many Notes via comments by his fan base, alluding to his often blazing phraseology on the 88s. Nonetheless, Smith possesses an active mind as the program boasts a cornucopia of bop, jazz fusion, Latin jazz, rock, pulsating cadences and explosive flights of fancy. At times Smith executes flashy runs while toggling between acoustic and electric keys and props up the interest or listenability factor by alternating tempos ...

Album Review

Jay Smith Group: Unashamed Portrayal

Read "Unashamed Portrayal" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 1, 2012

California-based keyboardist Jay Smith's worldly musical views radiate mightily, as he borrows from the past and reformulates a refreshingly modern vibe, spanning jazz-fusion, blues-rock and more. He also injects panache into the proceedings and garners top-notch support, while fusing a coalition of memorable melodies with a rather ferocious improvisational element. The keyboardist incorporates a vastly entertaining subsystem with penetrating frameworks amid various climactically oriented rhythmical drivers. Smith is a catalyst and colorist, and weaves around blistering solo spots ...

352

Take Five With...

Take Five With Jay Smith

by AAJ Staff
January 23, 2011

Meet Jay Smith:Jay Smith has performed with dozens of groups all over California, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain in a wide range of music, from bebop and gypsy jazz to Latin rock and funk. He has worked with groups and musicians as Kelulu, Mento Buru, The Fresno Philharmonic, David Baron Stevens, Andre Bush, Mike Dana, Velorio, Zambra, Patrick Contreras and, along with drummer Jonathan Martinez, founded The Modern Jazz Trio, which was featured in Bakotopia Magazine, the Bakersfield ...

“After about a dozen years in Bakersfield, most of that time spent in music, Smith has become one of the busiest musicians in town, and makes his living purely in his chosen field by performing more than 160 dates a year and giving music lessons at Nick Rail Music to some 50 students, from elementary school age to adults in their 60s.” Steven Mayer, Bakersfield Californian (Dec 15, 2019) https://www.bakersfield.com/news/piano-prodigy-jay-smith-and-the-jay-smith-group-making-the-vision- real/article_1377148e-1c70-11ea-a926-33b246f2b91a.html

"If you thought jazz goes into hiding after the CSUB Jazz Festival, you're wrong. Wildly energetic keyboardist Jay Smith, who mentors students weekly at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, has assembled a monster group of players for a special show up on the roof. Joining Smith is Grammy nominated guitarist Andre Bush, whose performing credits include stints with jazz heavyweights Nnenna Freelon, Carl Allen, Andy Narell, Liz Story among others. Also appearing will be Bakersfield bassist Jay Jay Hicks, and drummer Jonathan Weinmann." - Matt Munoz, Bakersfield Californian (Jul 07, 2011)

"I try to incorporate what I've been told by dozens of other musicians greater than myself: learn the theory behind the what makes the music work then play like yourself! It's not enough (especially in this day and age) to know how to play standards well; it really comes down to bringing the music to that next level and making your own impact on the music. " - AAJ STAFF, All About Jazz (Jan 23, 2011)

"I'm really excited to hear the finished album. There are such wonderful solos and excellent compositions." - Christine Walsh, KFSR with Christine (Aug 24, 2011)

"A composer as well as a performer, Smith expects to release a new album in October. Titled "Unashamed Portrayal," it's made up of music he's written in the past as well as some new material. It includes his full band, which is made up of Grammy-nominated guitarist Andre Bush as well as Montoya, Weinmann, Chris Nguyen, Mark Manda, Armando Joe Vazquez, Jay Jay Hicks and Nunzio Urbina." - Camille Gavin, Bakersfield Californian (Sep 01, 2011)

"Helping to lay the ground work to reinvigorate the local jazz scene outside of the scholastic realm and back into the clubs where jazz music was created." - Sam Jaime, Bakotopia (Feb 05, 0009)

"Jay Smith put together a killer band....Then he wowed the audience by doing something no one at the workshop had seen or heard before - JAY SMITH SANG!!! Wow - what a night! " - Frank Maccioli, Bakersfield Jazz Workshop (Sep 09, 2009)

"raising the profile of the local jazz scene" - Jennifer Self, Bakersfield Californian (Apr 29, 2009)

"During the performance, confused bystanders meandered past the window, down 19th Street toward other evening hot spots. Those of inside felt as if we were somewhere special, part of a unique downtown experience. And the musicianship on display was exquisite." - Aaron Mauldin, Face News (May 01, 2009)

"Jazz has had its seeds planted in Bakersfield for decades. But those seeds aren’t enough for Jay Smith" - Nick Belardes, Face News (Apr 24, 2009)

"Jay Smith played the hell out of the piano, synthesizer, and keyboard �" improvising as the best pianists do on jazz standards and original compositions alike." - Aaron Mauldin, Face News (May 01, 2009)

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

I have taught music for several organizations including Fresno Unified and Panama Buena Vista School Districts, Arts Council of Kern, Yamaha School of Music, & Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, and have taught for ten years privately, as well as publicly.

images courtesty of the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop

Lesson programs include:
Piano Performance
Piano Technique
Music Theory
Music Composition
Creating/Building a Group
Recording

My rates are very affordable and I am very competitive.
Jay Smith
[email protected]
661-900-9887