Background
At the age of eleven, he chose a guitar from his father’s music store and switched his attentions to that instrument.
At the age of eleven, he chose a guitar from his father’s music store and switched his attentions to that instrument.
He has also performed and recorded with artists including Carly Simon, Donna Summer, The Manhattan Transfer, Herbie Mann, Rickie Lee Jones and Chuck Mangione. Azzolina began his musical life playing trumpet and piano. After high school, he spent a year studying classical guitar before attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying under noted players including Pat Metheny.
He released his first Civil Defense, Never Too Late, in 1989.
In 1995, Azzolina received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase, New New York He soon began teaching there as well.
He appeared on the group’s 2000 release, Past Tense (Doubletime Records). along with several other original Civil Defense projects including Live At One Station Plaza (2002) and The Rolling Stones Project (2005). Azzolina released a new solo project, Local Dialect on the Garagista Music label in 2007.
In 1997, Jay became a member of the John Patitucci Band where he was able to explore acoustic jazz music
