12 Facts About Jay Beckenstein

Jay Barnet Beckenstein was born on May 14,1951 and is an American saxophonist, composer, producer, and the co-founder of the band Spyro Gyra.

Jay Beckenstein's mother, Lorraine, was an opera singer and his father, Leonard, loved jazz and introduced him to Charlie Parker and Lester Young when he was a baby.

Jay Beckenstein started playing the piano at age five when he moved to Farmingdale, New York.

Jay Beckenstein was given his first saxophone at the age of seven.

Jay Beckenstein attended and graduated from Nurnberg American High School in 1969.

Jay Beckenstein has said that being Jewish in Germany was positive at the time.

Jay Beckenstein received a college degree in music from the University at Buffalo in 1973.

Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie once played with the college band while Jay Beckenstein was a band member.

In 2000, Jay Beckenstein released his first solo album, Eye Contact, which charted No 23 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums.

Jay Beckenstein played the saxophone solo on American progressive metal band Dream Theater's "Another Day", from the album Images and Words, and single version of song "Through her Eyes", from the album Metropolis Pt.

Jay Beckenstein played a solo part in "Take Away My Pain" on the live album Once in a Livetime as well as "Another Day" during the performance of Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York.

In 1984, Jay Beckenstein married Jennifer Johnson from Portland, Oregon; with whom he has three children.