Jay Sanders is a guitarist, bassist, composer, producer, and bandleader based in Asheville, N.C. An avid musical explorer with an insatiably curious mind, his music seamlessly fuses jazz, rock, blues, metal, and African influences with years of improvisational study. His compositions range from structured thematic works and soulful grooves to Americana reflections, global soundscapes, and experimental improvisations. He cites Sonny Sharrock, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Dave Holland, Ornette Coleman, and John Hartford among his primary influences.

With more than two dozen recordings and performances across 47 U.S. states and six countries, Jay has also composed for the ETHEL string quartet, Rational Discourse, and scored several independent films. His first symphonic work, "Sinfonietta Helene," will be premiered by the Blue Ridge Orchestra in September 2025.

Solo Work

His solo debut, Evanescent, released July 12, 2024, is an exploration of influences and meditation on impermanence featuring seven original compositions plus a tone poem dedicated to the Voyager spacecraft. The album features longtime collaborators Justin Ray, Jacob Rodriguez, Casey Driessen, Steve Alford, Zack Page, Evan Martin, and Tyler Housholder. German website eR eM praised the release, writing: "With an eight-person line-up and an instrumentation that includes saxes, bass, drums, percussion and of course guitars, as well as a fiddle and a VO-96 synth, nine tracks with an enormous range were created...SANDERS and his ensemble present an astonishing range of styles and sounds. Not something you can just listen to casually, the thing requires attention—but it's worth it. Wonderful debut, which will hopefully be followed by many more examples of SANDERS' skills."

Snake Oil Medicine Show & Early Asheville Years

Jay moved to Asheville in 1996, where he joined forces with the Pond family and Jason Krekel to form Snake Oil Medicine Show. Playing bass for the group, they recorded two albums and built a successful touring career. Through Snake Oil performances at venues like Green Acres Music Hall, Jay met the McMurry family, leading to his invitation to join Acoustic Syndicate in 1998. During this period, Jay also co-founded AVAS (The Acoustic Vibration Appreciation Society) with longtime collaborators. Originally the name of a student club at their Nashville high school, AVAS reunited Jay with mandolinist Jason Krekel and flutist Gaines Post, later expanding to include violinist Cailin Campbell and banjo player Andy Pond. The progressive acoustic group released their self-titled debut on Little King Records in 2000, featuring original compositions that blended newgrass with influences ranging from Bill Frisell and Mahavishnu Orchestra to Scandinavian folk legends Väsen and Raymond Scott. As Krekel described their approach: "This is our personal music—we're not playing for anybody else. We're supporting each other's songs, and we're trying to stretch out as far as we possibly can."

Acoustic Syndicate

Jay is best known as bassist for Acoustic Syndicate, which "has for decades been setting the pace for a style of music that fuses southern roots music, bluegrass, rock and roll and a healthy dose of improvisation in an approach that now permeates the American music scene." Hailed as a progenitor of and inspiration to generations of jam and jamgrass bands, the group—comprised of two brothers and a cousin: Steve "Big Daddy" McMurry (guitar, lead vocals), Bryon McMurry (banjo, guitar, vocals), and Fitz McMurry (drums, vocals), along with longtime bassist Jay Sanders—has taken its distinctive, North Carolina-bred sound across the country countless times. Over their 25-year career, they appeared at major festivals including Bonnaroo and Farm Aid while releasing eight records, including two for Sugar Hill Records. As JamBase's Paul Kerr noted, "Their modern take on traditional bluegrass and rock values culminates in a glimmering, driving sound rich with acoustic textures and glowing vocals." From 2007 to 2010, Jay served as bassist for Americana roots rock legends Donna the Buffalo, anchoring the rhythm section during a period when their album *Silverlined* reached #8 on the Americana Music Chart. He has also recorded and toured with CX-1 The Blackhole Bluegrass Boys. Within the broader Americana space, he has recorded with Jim Lauderdale.

E.Normus Trio

In 2013, Jay partnered with Steve Alford and Michael W Davis to form E.Normus Trio, releasing Love & Barbiturates to critical acclaim. Jay's adventurous spirit led him to explore the N/S Stick for this project—an 8-string multi-mode instrument with a 5+ octave range that combines the voices of both guitar and bass, which has become integral to the trio's sound. All About Jazz's Glenn Astarita wrote: "This debut release skirts the boundaries of jazz-rock, free-jazz and progressive metal-jazz. The jazz and improvisational elements accentuate most of these works, fueled by adrenaline rushes amid the broad arsenal...With asymmetrical doses of swing, rock, and Sanders' fuzzed-out psycho guitar licks, the music generates remembrances of New York City's vibrant downtown scene, at times drawing comparisons to John Zorn's Naked City ensemble...the band counterbalances a feeding frenzy with softly woven innocence, and is a consistent paradigm throughout the program."

Background & Influences

Originally from Nashville, Jay grew up immersed in the city's vast music scene, with many of his earliest influences being the professional musician parents of his friends. He began playing at age 13 when a family friend offered him a guitar and banjo. Early studies with Regi Wooten opened his mind to fundamental vibration, sacred geometry, and the music of the spheres. After studying Creative Writing and music at Belmont University and a stint in the Jazz program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, he deepened his curiosity through extended conversations with former Sun Ra drummer Samurai Celestial.

Collaborations & Mentors

Throughout his career, Sanders has performed with many of his heroes, including Ornette Coleman, Hank Roberts, Béla Fleck, Ivan Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Fred Wesley, Sam Bush, Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett of Little Feat, Bernie Worrell, Kirk Joseph, Vassar Clements, Tim Reynolds, and Tim O'Brien. He has studied with Reggie Wooten, Samurai Celestial, Jeff Sipe, E. Michael Harrington, Jerry Coker, and other inspiring talents. Producer Stewart Lerman has praised him as "a brilliant and innovative musician...a chameleon without compromise and a super talent," while bassist Steve Cohen calls Jay "a consummate artist and a true inspiration...a major talent."

Community Leadership

Jay's commitment to fostering musical community extends beyond performance. He organized the inaugural Asheville Improvisational Music Festival in 2012, celebrating local modern jazz and improvisation, and serves on the board of URSA Asheville, a non-profit dedicated to "igniting musical innovation that creates connection" by linking emerging composers with world-class performers and establishing Asheville as a hub for musical creativity. Beyond music, Jay co-owns the award-winning cocktail bar Little Jumbo, where he leads a quartet every Tuesday night alongside multi-reed instrumentalist Will Boyd, acclaimed bassist Zack Page, and virtuosic drummer and composer Alan Hall. This ongoing collaboration serves as "a canvas of like-minded sonic adventurers," with their focus on original compositions oscillating between through-composed musical themes, groove-based soul explorations, traditional jazz standards, Americana-inspired peaceful melodicism, world music influences, free jazz adventures, and occasional forays into cacophonous noise music. Jay also curates Monday night jazz performances featuring the region's top musicians and is currently producing a "Live at Little Jumbo" recording series for release in 2025 and beyond, with the quartet working toward multiple recording projects including a live album, short-form EP, and full-length studio record.

Contact: [email protected]