By Christopher Short
Staff Writer

What happens when jazz fusion, Latin rock and funk are combined? The Jay Smith Group is created. With a vibrant combination of tonal beauty and cacophony, the group has built its success one tune at a time.

Founded in Bakersfield, CA, six years ago, the group at its core is composed of Jay Smith on piano, keyboards, organ and synth, local drummer Cesareo Garasa and alternating bassists Fernando Montoya and Jay Jay Hicks.

“They’re blazingly technical, but always fun. Jay’s very passionate, as anyone who’s watched him play knows, and he’s an outstanding player with incredible musical flexibility,” said Zack Clark, 23, a music education major at California State University, Bakersfield.

The group has been accompanied by a variety of incredible performers including Grammy nominated guitarist Andre Bush, Fresno violinist Patrick Contreras, and vocalists Therese Muller and Marlon Mackey.

“There have been various members over the years as my original idea was to have a revolving door of musicians to work with,” said Smith, 30, a music education major at CSUB.

The Jay Smith Group has been an integral part of Bakersfield music culture for the past six years. Having helped open the Padre Hotel with a two-year musical residency, and performing all over the local area, the group has been extremely active.

“After seeing them play live, I really like how the group infuses different styles of music into their performances. They’re truly captivating,” said Karlee McGuire, 22, a sociology major at CSUB.

On an international level, the group’s freshman release, “Unashamed Portrayal” was featured three times in All About Jazz, was distributed by LA Sound, a Japanese distribution company, was released on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and 30 other retailers and has been played throughout the United States on various college stations.

The group is currently working on its sophomore album titled, “Too Many Notes.”

The album will include the group’s core musicians as well as percussionist Jonathan Weinmann and James Russell on tenor and alto sax.

“It’s going to be a huge mix of quite a few compositions of mine in a huge melting pot of styles ranging from jazz, R&B, funk, hip-hop, soul, fusion, and Latin,” Smith said.

Also hosting a weekly Radio Show on 90.7 KFSR Fresno and working as a piano instructor at Nick Rail Music, Smith lives and breathes music.

“I never really don’t have a lot of time outside of music for much of anything. Most nights, I’m rehearsing, performing, writing, doing my radio show or practicing. Music, to me, is an all-consuming thing,” Smith said. “Just recently, my girlfriend Cara and I were coming back from a gig and I didn’t even want to listen to the radio which she said was the first time in the 3 years we have been together that I’ve ever said that. And it’s true: I love music so much that it’s really hard for me to shut it off.”

For Smith, his time at CSUB and companionship go hand-in-hand with musical endeavors.

“My environment drives me to create music,” he said. I try to grab inspiration from everything and everyone around me, especially Cara and my friends. In fact, it was Cara that inspired me to go back to school and finish up my degree.”

To hear this blend of raw inspiration and musical genius, check out jaysmithgroup.com.