Erik Jay has refined his smooth but surprising blend of jazz, pop, rock, Latin, bossa, and ballad styles over a lifetime. In the 1980s, he polished his professional chops working with Vivian Grant, pianist and former accompanist to legendary jazz singer Anita O'Day. After traveling on various musical and artistic pursuits, Erik settled near Los Angeles in 1990 and began the years of musical growth, experimentation, and learning that culminates in the new music. In addition to working on his original projects, Erik has also worked performances and sessions with such luminaries as Abraham Laboriel Sr., Graham Dorsey, Jack Kelly, Richie Gajate-Garcia, Mike Willars, Jon Hartmann, and Sam Mazzola. For three years during the mid- to late-1990s, Erik also served as music director for a small inner-city church. Erik has developed a style of music that is at once highly personal and highly accessible, with several distinct vocal and instrumental influences held together by a common theme of hope, renewal, love, and relentlessly positive thinking. "But what ties the whole thing together sonically and musically," says Erik, "is my producer, Richard Zeier, at Pearl Music. I have a 'signature sound' because Richard helped me find it and focus it." Erik married his wife, Lydia, in 1985, and they now live in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Felton, CA, with their Akita-Husky-Shepherd mix, Maximo. His daughter from his first marriage, Monica, and son-in-law, Lamont, have given him two granddaughters, Tiana and Aliyah, and a grandson, Lamont ("Junior"). Erik is also a writer, editor, publication/book designer, publishing consultant, Macintosh maven, and BMI member.