Author of the newly published Ray Brown biography shares fascinating insights on the life of the bass-playing legend
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
September 22, 2025
Jay Sweet is a bassist, educator, writer, and researcher with extensive contributions to the music industry. He currently teaches bass, Jazz History, American Music History, and Music Appreciation at Monmouth University, and has also taught at Middlesex College and Rutgers University. In addition to performing and teaching, Jay is the owner and director of Sweet Music Academy (Howell, NJ), where he and his staff have taught more than 4,000 students over the past two decades.
As a writer, Jay is contributing editor of Jersey Jazz Magazine and has published articles and reviews with Oxford University Press, the Annual Jazz Review, Hal Leonard, and DownBeat. In 2025, he authored Ray Brown: His Life and Music, the first-ever official biography of the jazz bass legend — a groundbreaking book filled with fresh insights into the life of one of the most influential bassists of all time. Jay also hosts two popular podcasts, 30 Albums For 30 Years (1964–1994) and The Jazz Real Book, further cementing his reputation as a leading voice in the music community.
Watch our interview with Jay
