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Jay Phelps is a Vancouver-born Canadian who was tutored by some of the city’s top trumpeters including Brad Turner and Ray Kirkham (second principal trumpet, VSO). b.1982, Jay performed for two years with the award-winning Surrey Youth Symphony Orchestra where he picked up a best soloist award. Jazz was his first love and at 15, he became the youngest artist to lead his own band at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, a feat he repeated the following year amidst much media attention. At 17, Jay moved to London determined to immerse himself in the London jazz scene and immediately attracted the notice of Gary Crosby who offered him dep work with Jazz Jamaica, Nu Troop and, in 2002, the opportunity to be a Tomorrow’s Warrior with friends Shane, Nathaniel and Neil. Citing Louis Armstrong, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Booker Little, Miles Davis and Ali Farka Toure as his main influences, Jay, a student at Trinity College of Music, is a featured member of Dennis Rollins' award winning Badbone & Co and has performed with Andrew Hill, Hugh Masakela, George Benson, Nasheet Waits, Charlotte Church, Lemar, Ty, and Jazz Jamaica. Jay is currently co-leader of the band Empirical, who perform original compositions uniquely penned by all of the members of the band. Empirical are due to release their debut album in the not too distant future.