Latest update July 3, 2025
(Hot News; Song catalogue; Discography E,J,M,S)
In this playlist you will find an extensive selection (but not everything) from Jay's session work during the
1970s into the 1980s, when he played on numerous recordings for countless artists of the era, both upcoming as well
as already established, before getting more involved in songwriting and producing. He was a first call studio
guitarist for nearly 3 decades and between the late 60s and the late 70s
Jay played on practically every "A" list session in Los Angeles, acquiring a glowing reputation as an ace studio
guitarist/solo specialist on numerous albums with all the major artists of the era - a handful of them noted here
below in no particular order:
Don Ellis, George Duke, The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stanley Turrentine, Stephen Bishop, Randy Crawford,
Andrae Crouch, Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Carpenters, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes,
Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, Four Tops, Syreeta, The Osmonds, Donny Osmond, Donny & Marie Osmond,
Wayne Shorter, Country Joe McDonald, Eddie Kendricks, Jaye P. Morgan, Candi Staton, Frankie Valli,
Tata Vega, Rhythm Heritage, Roger Miller, The Three Degrees, Hank Williams, Jr., Nigel Olson,
Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Gino Vannelli, Paul Anka, Marlena Shaw,
Cheap Trick, Christopher Cross, Cher, Joe Cocker, Hall & Oates, Marc Jordan, The Manhattan Transfer,
Al Jarreau, Flora Purim, Harvey Mason, Bill Champlin, Rita Coolidge, Helen Reddy, Alan O'Day, Olivia Newton-John,
John Travolta, Albert King, Boz Scaggs, Barry Crocker, Jackie DeShannon, Leo Sayer, Alan Sorrenti, Dionne Warwick,
Nancy Wilson, Alice Cooper, Ted Gärdestad, Barry Manilow, and Steely Dan, just to name a
few.
Jay's own words about this era in the studios, here below ...
***
"One year I played over 800 sessions, which may be a record. During the 70s, there was so much work for top
studio musicians and especially for guitar players, since there were usually 2 or more guitar players on
tracking dates. Overdub sessions added to the work calls. It was common to get called for 30 to 40 sessions
a week. I would typically accept 20 sessions (4 a day, 5 days a week)." - Jay Graydon
More details in the discography,
the recording session pages, and in
the song catalogue.
