Jay Azzolina is a jazz-fusion style guitarist primarily known for his work with the Grammy-winning group Spyro Gyra

Spyro Gyra

Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was originally formed in the mid-1970s in Buffalo, New York, USA. With over 25 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the genre...

. He has also performed and recorded with artists including Carly Simon

Carly Simon

Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...

, Donna Summer

Donna Summer

LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...

, The Manhattan Transfer

The Manhattan Transfer

The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...

, Herbie Mann

Herbie Mann

Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...

, Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...

 and Chuck Mangione

Chuck Mangione

Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...

.

Overview

Azzolina began his musical life playing trumpet and piano. At the age of eleven, he chose a guitar from his father’s music store and switched his attentions to that instrument. After high school, he spent a year studying classical guitar before attending the Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

 in Boston, studying under noted players including Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny

Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...

. He released his first CD, Never Too Late, in 1989.

In 1995, Azzolina received his M.F.A. degree from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase, NY; he soon began teaching there as well.

In 1997, Jay became a member of the John Patitucci Band where he was able to explore acoustic jazz music. He appeared on the group’s 2000 release, Past Tense (Doubletime Records). along with several other original CD projects including Live At One Station Plaza (2002) and The Rolling Stones Project (2005).

Azzolina released a new solo project, Local Dialect on the Garagista Music label in 2007.

Discography

1989 Never Too Late

2000 Past Tense
featuring Chris Potter, John Pattituci, Charles Blenzig, Adam Nussbaum, Jill Azzolina, Julie Eisenberg

2002 Live At One Station Plaza w/Adam Nussbaum, Gary Versace

2005 The Rolling Stones Project

2007 Local Dialect
featuring Tim Ries, Larry Golding, John Pattituci, Greg Hutchinson, Cyro Baptista, Scott Wendholt, Mike Davis, Charles Blenzig (Garagista Music)

External links

• http://www.jayazzolina.net
• http://www.garagistamusic.com
• http://myspace.com/jayazzolina