Meet Jay Allan | Musician & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Allan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, why did you pursue a creative career?
I basically feel I didn’t have a choice. When I found music, or it found me, it was and continues to be what I want to do with my life and career. I remember vividly the moment when I was onstage and it just clicked and I knew this was where I was meant to put my heart and soul into.. I was playing bass in a band in CA called Cowspace. It was a Grateful Dead cover band/original band. I had lied about my age to the bar and the band and told them I had been playing bass for a long time (I hadn’t). I was so excited that they later told me they couldn’t say no. But once I was accepted as the bass player I put in the work to learn and rehearse as much as I could. We had a weekly gig at a little bar called Brennen’s in Marina Del Ray. There was a gig there early on where it just clicked and I was overcome with a sense of purpose and groove and I was locked in. It was that moment I knew that music and creativity was the path I was meant for. It has been 22 years since then and I have been a full time professional musician for the last 18 years and still not looking back or straying from that path.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always been a positive and passionate person. My willingness to try most anything and to be open minded about art and music definitely opened many doors. I definitely had to cut my teeth in the music scene and pay my dues. But, having a great network of amazing musicians and supporters helped me through any difficult times. A key lesson that I learned from my mentor and friend Ethan was to always listen and tom play for the song. To be a team player and work together. That is where music especially feels the best and most gratifying, to have that “musical conversation”. A conversation without words, but sound and vibe and to connect with those who you are playing with and to the audience as well. I may not have always been the best singer or player, but if I played with my heart and with passion, that would bring me to that connection.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend come into town I would take them to see as many of the amazing Phoenix artists that I could! Phoenix is a large and spread out city and is filled with incredible artists, musicians and songwriters! I would seek out who and where as many of them as I could were performing and take that friend to be wowed by the talent pool here in Phoenix! Cave Creek, AZ would be a great place to take them as there are so many great little venues there that cater to original music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that deserve recognition in my journey as a musician. The first would be my older brother Joe who introduced me to so much music and took me to shows early on. Since then, all of the teachers and mentors and musicians I have had the honor to play with and learn from have been so intrigue in my growth as an artist. One very notable person, however, is my good friend Ethan Newman. When I moved back to AZ in 2004 he was one of the first professional musicians I met and he truly took me under his wing and helped me get my first gigs, introduced to so many amazing people, artist and new music. He was a a true mentor and friend. He unfortunately passed away in late 2020. But he still remains to be a massive influence on me as an artist and as a human being in general.

Website: jayallanmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayallan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayallanmusic1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrmwbLzCoNhzObelKhFcfLA

Image Credits
Miranda Allan Cassy Meyers