Backstage with Swingin' Jay

A professionally educated musician, Swingin' Jay got a stand-in gig in Paris with the Smoky Midnight Gang in 1998 at a time when the band was looking for a saxophonist who could read music well and quickly integrate the style of music played by the group. Jay's talents soon became indispensable to Big Smile Silver Tony and the band. Previously, Jay played in various other bands including Kid Coco, Yasmine and Boogie Boy. But his love for music began long before then, encouraged from an early age by his father, also a full-time musician.

"My dad wanted me to become a musician too but I didn't want to. It seemed like too much hard study and I just wanted to party. So I joined the army instead."

Well, life in the armed forces was not entirely without the goal of music in sight, at least not for Jay. As a teen-ager he studied for two years at the Conservatory and at this time he heard of an opportunity to become a musician in the army.

"After I joined, however, they told me there were no places at the moment for full time musicians but that I might get the opportunity to do it after a while?I decided to wait for that chance and I spent four years in the Infantry and a further five years in the Air Force before I legged it."