Rumor has it that Jay hails from a small Scots-Irish town west of the Blue Ridge Mountains that is frequently mispronounced. His Scottish heritage is perhaps the origin of his interest in pipe instruments. Not having access to sheepskin, bagpipes were not an option. But a box of pipes controlled by a keyboard proved to be just fine. During his formative years, he was also irreversibly influenced by four gentlemen from a town in the north of England. That was when he began also playing the six-strings that became ubiquitous during the era. Young Jay eventually left the small town and travelled north through the valley, arriving at a small college that neither James nor Dolly would have recognized. There, he had access to many boxes of pipes and other instruments, as well as vast resources of music throughout the ages. (He also never went far without his six-stringed friend.) He particularly became interested in French music of the early 20th century and learned that the French were more artful in their interpretation of J.S. Bach than their Teutonic counterparts (and he’ll debate the point with anyone who thinks otherwise). After college, Jay spent over two decades teaching adolescents to use their vocal pipes to produce somewhat musical sounds and others how to play the six strings, producing notes that decay quickly but never leave player or listener unchanged. A love of great music combined with an appreciation of ephemera brought Jay to WTJU, where he offers selections that he hopes will either remind listeners of something they love or give them something new to cherish.