Solo Performances

Biography

Jay Cook has spent much of his life creating, improvising and performing with a variety of instruments, including percussion, bass, guitar and voice. His studies have brought him deep into a variety of musical styles, as he has learned from jazz experts at the Vermont Jazz Center, talking drum masters in Nigeria, and classical music professors at Middlebury College. Whether walking a bass line, responding in rhythm to a master drum call, or writing music for the balafon (African xylophone), Jay’s musical presence is dynamic, playful, engaging and thoughtful. He performs and leads workshops in percussion both as a soloist and as part of the duo, “African Rhythms and World Music.” In addition, he is the bassist for the acoustic rock duo “Kasnitz & Cook” as well as the swing/jazz/funk quartet, “Jazzberry Jam.”

A certified music teacher with a B.A. in music from Middlebury College, Jay has brought his knowledge of rhythm and musical creativity to libraries, festivals and schools in and around New England. He is also certified with the organization Music for People, a group dedicated to teaching improvised self-expression through music.