Columbian born, Jay Rodriguez is a Grammy nominated saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, film composer, producer & arranger. Jay began his saxophone studies with Tito D’Rivera, the famed saxophonist & father of Paquito D’Rivera. Jay later studied with Phil Woods, Michael Wolf, Julius Baker (NY Phil), George Coleman & Joe Henderson.
Jay’s resume reads like a who’s who of the music world. His music has influenced bands such as US 3, The Roots, & A Tribe called Quest. He has worked with hundreds of artists including Miles Davis, Prince, The Roots, Tupac, Elvis Costello, Patti Labelle, Celia Cruz, Natalie Cole, Musiq Soulchild, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Guru, Little Louie Vega, Arturo O Farrill, Bernie Worrell, Roy Hargrove, Fred Wesley, Melissa Manchester, The Mingus Big Band, Widespread Panic, Mike Clark, Kenny Barron, Irakere, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Selah Sue, The Gil Evans Band, and many others. He has taught/lectured all over the world including the Royal Academy of Music, University of Cairo, Uninorte (Colombia) & Unam in Mexico.
MUSIC: Influences include John Coltrane, Paquito D’Rivera, Charlie Mingus & Life.
PRESS:“He could be breathy and insinuating on a ballad, brawny and extroverted in an uptempo….” – NY Times
“Married to the song while sleeping with the groove, his sound sings of commitment to an ideal—it is spontaneity, culturally untethered and unpretentious, the excitement of far flung love at all costs. It is perfectionism kissed by chaos.” – Michael Gelfand
