1976 started playing guitar while a DJ at WPLT, Radio Free Plattsburgh (NY), his college radio station. Wanted to make his own music. Started on electric guitar.

1980s mostly electric guitar in alternative bands and street musician in San Francisco. The Divers, the Electrics, Railerific Blues Band, Rampage, Riot, the Chairs, Red Kryptonite, the Rattlers, the Free and Sleazy Band, etc.

1990-91 travelled as a musician in Europe. Hamburg, Paris, Athens, Crete, Koln, Saarland, Flensburgh. Played in bars, restaurants, cafes, clubs, concerts, parties, farmer’s markets and as a street artist.

1990s-present mostly solo acoustic folk and blues. Northern California with some time in Seattle.

Releases

The Black Eagle Flies
folk-cassette-1990-sold out

Present
electric rock-casssette-1996-a few copies left

The Official Jay Dancing Bear Guide To Guitar
instructional manual-1998 sold out, in process of revision

GUITAR LESSONS Jay has been teaching guitar since 1980, primarily private lessons..

COVER REPERTOIRE Jay knows hundreds (maybe more) of blues, R+B, rock, folk and traditional songs. Robert Johnson, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Creedence, Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Elmore James, Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, and many others

Jay also plays harmonica and is learning flute and hand drum

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Song lyrics

The Black Eagle Flies

The black eagle flew/ to the top of the mountain/ from the bowels of the earth/ where he came from the black eagle flew/ through the stormy darkness/ higher and higher/ up to the sun

he flies he flies he fills my eyes/ his wings stretch forever, filling the skies higher and higher/ higher and higher/ to the sun, to the sun, the black eagle flies

on his back sits a rider/ in his heart is a diamond/ on his face an eye/ that sees beyond/the black eagle flew/ through the stormy darkness/ higher and higher/ up to the sun

he flies he flies he fills my eyes/ his wings stretch forever, filling the skies/higher and higher/ higher and higher/ to the sun, to the sun, the black eagle flies

the earth that he came from/ the sun that he flies to/ are one and the same/ one, not two/his black wings shine/ with a light that is golden/ all his feathers are turning to blue

to blue/to blue/ they're turning to blue/ the black eagle's feathers turning to blue/the skies, the skies, the skies so blue/ the lack eagle skies/ are turning to blue

the black eagle flew/ to the top of the mountain/ from the bowels of the earth/ where he/came from/the black eagle flew/ through the stormy darkness/ higher and higher/ up to the sun/filling the skies his love like a rainbow/ all that there is / under the sun/all that there is/ he has done/ all that there is/ under the sun/all that there is/ he has done/ all that there is/ under the sun

copyright 2002 jay dancing bear all rights reserved
 

Journeys of the Spirit

Journeys of the Spirit
Journeys of the heart
Journeys within journeys
where did the journey start?

Two people met on the street one day
One lost and the other found
One flew to the sky
and the other stayed on the ground

Twas in the merry month of may
the blossoms fresh on the trees
I lay me down to take my rest
and look up at the leaves

Now the winter winds blow cold
The silent snow it falls
I've stayed inside all day
and thought upon us all

Journeys of the Spirit
Journeys of the heart
Journeys within journeys
where did the journey start?

Two people met on the street one day
One lost and the other found
One flew to the sky
and the other stayed on the ground

copyright 2003 Jay Dancing Bear all rights reserved
 

A Falling Leaf

I know a guy who gets real high
Just by looking at the sky
he goes out where the air is clean
where the grasses speak and he knows what they mean
where the grasses speak and he knows what they mean

he usually gets there on his bike
he's not afraid of a nine mile hike
he's not too young and he's not too old
he care's more about a flower than for diamonds or gold
he care's more about a flower than for diamonds or gold

he's go his problems but he knows how to forget them
the trees would make us happy if we'd only let them
the things which make him happy well they all are free
what greater piece of art than a falling leaf?
what greater piece of art than a falling leaf?

I know a guy who gets real high
Just by looking at the sky
he goes out where the air is clean
where the grasses speak and he knows what they mean
where the grasses speak and he knows what they mean

copyright 2003 Jay Dancing Bear all rights reserved
 

Insect World
(This is a song from the band I had in the 80's)

They stream through the streets like insects/ going to gnaw a corpse
army ants in the jungles of america/ they can't find their way alone

they eat each other/ they feel they must
they feel despair at betraying each other's trust

follow the crowd/ to the end/ follow the crowd/ though they're not YOUR friends

I don't care what you say/ I don't care what you do
all your dreams/ are just to make me like you

but are you happy/ with the life you lead
what are your values/ what are your seeds?

follow me/ to my house/ my sweet house/ follow me/ to my house to my grave to the end be my slave

(lead)

I'm not a businessman anymore/ I can't do that anymore
why should I wear a grey suit why not a blue one it's all the same

all the same/ all that pain
it's all the same/ all that pain

follow/ all you do is follow/ follow/ all you do is, all you do is all you do is/ follow

copyright 2002 Jay Dancing Bear all rights reserved

One Good BullDozer

One good bulldozer is all it would take
to make all the shopping malls all go away
rip up the parking lots and plant them with trees
make flower pots out of SUVs

One good bulldozer
One change of heart
would keep us together
come on let's start

When people pay attention to the things that matter
All these problems, they'll all scatter
lying in the sun, feeling at one
with the one, the one, and everyone

One good bulldozer
One change of heart
would keep us together
come on let's start

All the distractions and all of the games
can't hide the fact that inside we're the same
embodiments of the living truth
you and me, me and you

One good bulldozer
One change of heart
would keep us together
come on let's start

copyright 2003 Jay Dancing Bear all rights reserved
 

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