Jay 'Dogbrain' Ward was born in a crossfire hurricane and raised in the canebrake by an old mama lion... Oh, wait a minute, that was someone else. Anyway, he was born a country boy, grew up as a drummer and then a bass player (groundwork) before moving to NYC in the mid-'70s. As a bass player and singer, Jay toured worldwide until the mid-'80s, absorbing his exposure to Motown, Reggae, Jazz, Country, Blues, Disco (yeah, disco) and plain old Rock & Roll. This was the blend of influences that led to the inception of dogbrain music as a music production endeavor.

In his studio, Jay's work with such exceptional talents as Roberta Flack, Bernard Wright, Everett Bradley, Ben Witman, Scout, Richard X Heyman, Cypher, Michael Mazzarella (The Rooks), Joe Gallant & Illuminati, Ivo Perelman, Richard Julian, Dave Tronzo and many others (for a fuller list, see clients) allowed him to keep growing as a producer and artist. Jay's own experience as a bandleader with the dogbrain band, Easy Money (Puerto Rico) and the Boomerang Bros. (NYC) further refined his sound and led to his current work with bonejockeys and dogbrain.

A multi-instrumentalist, Jay's current obsession with slide guitar has found a prominent place in his recent work. He has also recorded a CD of songs by and for dogs, as well as becoming deeply involved with dog photography. The "dogbrain" moniker was bestowed on him by bandmates during his early touring days because of the reciprocal love affair between Jay and the local canine population, wherever they were. Jay (dogbrain) Ward's "Nest" wasn't cut with a cookie cutter and won't fit into a pigeon hole. Chances are about 100% you won't see him on "American Idol" performing My Reprieve (narrated calmly from the executioner's chair). But, like a Boomerang, these very original, dark and funny songs and productions whirl and spin their way into your head, making the entire CD a satisfying listen from beginning to end.

From the funky urban slide blues of Drop Of Blood, Nasty and Judge & Jury to the jazz-hop of My Reprieve to the acoustic-electro dance of Wreck, Apt. 8 and Boomerang to the carnival-country pop of Whirligig and Catahoula, dogbrain delivers an interlocking "Nest" of songs in the Dogbrain Oriented Alternative (DOA) style. Like a demented tailor building a wardrobe for an eccentric family, the common thread and stitching is what holds the unlikely fabrics and textures together. One size definitely does not fit all. The lonely man pretending his waitress loves him, the diabolical auctioneer delivering temptation and comfort, the ghosts in the back room singing along; they're all hatched from the same "Nest".